


Coriander Flowers and Yellow Roses

by Algernon



Category: Xenoblade Chronicles
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Asexual Character, F/M, M/M, Non-Explicit Sex, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Platonic Relationships, Relationship Discussions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 07:33:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 38,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28578303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Algernon/pseuds/Algernon
Summary: Shulk and Fiora are omegas in love, but their biology requires them to each find an alpha. For convenience sake Shulk pairs with Dunban, thinking it was the smartest thing to do and it wouldn't impact his life too much.Tidbits about being platonically bonded while going through the XBC1 story. A retrospectively "old" fic of mine I wrote several months ago. It was the first thing I'd written in a long time and an attempt at examining how aro/ace and platonic relationships might work in A/B/O.
Relationships: Dunban & Shulk (Xenoblade Chronicles), Dunban/Shulk (Xenoblade Chronicles), Fiora/Shulk (Xenoblade Chronicles)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 7





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can't believe I actually wrote this and finished it. The whole thing is actually typed up but I'm still doing heavy revisions and spell-checks. For the longest time I didn't even think I would post this. I've been tweaking it for ages and honestly speaking I'm still a bit iffy on it, so I decided to bite the bullet and post the first chapter anyway because I figured I'm never going to be 100% happy with it.
> 
> This fic is born from two things lacking in the Xenoblade fanfic community I wanted to explore; A/B/O and Dunban/Shulk.
> 
> I expected a Xenoblade A/B/O fic to pop up eventually but it never did (at least I can't find any). A shame, I've always been fascinated by A/B/O and breaking of gender/sex norms in general so I'm glad I can finally dip my toe in it. Sex and gender are so overrated. Why can't we all just have a button between our legs we can press when we want a baby?
> 
> I don't actually ship Dunban/Shulk but I'm surprised there's next to no fics for it considering some of the cutscenes. It's probably because of the same reason I don't ship it, I prefer the big brother dynamic in the game. So I wrote this as extremely platonic, you know, as platonic as it can be when you're sticking your dick in someone.

Once he turned eighteen, which seemingly every alpha on the Colony 9 defence force had been waiting for, Shulk had felt the tension on the base increase immediately, mostly when he'd have to walk past multiple alphas. He was very aware of the interest in him that had been steadily building over the past year and a half, and when he had finally crossed over into technically adulthood it felt like there was constantly a faulty ether cylinder nearby threatening to explode.

He had woken early with the rest of the base, showered, smiled and nodded politely at the birthday wishes he received as he passed people to the food hall, then grabbed enough food to last him into the evening and not have a reason to leave the lab.

There was no reason to really be avoiding all the alphas, he had a plan, he had the situation covered and the nagging pull he felt at the loosely clothed alphas running morning drills would no longer distract him from his work.

'Though I can look a bit if I've got this all sorted,' he thought, sipping a thermos and leisurely looking over the group running laps around the yard. A few noticed him, including Reyn who looked over briefly, managed a smile and a nod before he turned into the curve. 'One last look, it's not like they haven't been doing the same to me.'

Staring was what alerted him he approaching that stage of life. Mid-way through sixteen when his body started to fill out and and grow out of gangly limbs and bad skin, he was suddenly aware that he was getting stares from adults. No one was really looking in appreciation, more like fascination. Occasionally when he sat down in the mess hall with Reyn for lunch he'd see a few soldiers twisting their heads to look at him for a few moments, then resume talking with the group at their tables.

It was only every the soldiers he barely interacted with as well. The researchers and other militia he'd spent most of his life around seemed indifferent to his growth, it was the people he only ever passed in the halls or see across of the yard that seemed really interested.

In the months after that he heard a few tail ends of scattered conversations that made him concerned he going to be approached for pairing in the imminent future, but it took Sesame walking past him on the bridge to the Ether Light, then doing a double take and saying, _“Not bad, Shu_ _lk, you're coming along nicely.”_ to understand that people weren't attracted to him then, but they could see the potential.

Things became more intense the following months as he moved inevitability into seventeen and he was forced into a more involved role in the army. He filled out properly, and at first it was just unsettling, but as the war against the Mechon kept going on, soldiers were becoming more forward and was getting more intimated. His omega ether and instincts flared at the attention from alphas, which he blamed for allowing a few of them to get a bit handsier than appropriate, but they would all graciously accept _“no, I'm sorry”_ when he'd gently pull their hand away from his arm, cheek, hip. Most of them weren't even from his colony and he'd only even see them once when they'd been directed to him to collect a weapon.

That was at first, then it still progressed into more direct behaviour. Colony 9 soldiers made the odd comment that could be laughed off, but alphas from other colonies would openly tell him he's pretty, that it was shame they didn't have time to be his first, too bad there was so many other alphas around, unless maybe he wouldn't mind having a few of them join in?

That last one had terrified him in a way that nothing else had ever before. He had stuck close to Dean under the guise of an apprentice needing to stay near his boss, and eventually told him what was happening when he got scoffed at one too many times.

“They're saying these things because most of these alphas have lost their colonies, and they're expecting to die,” Dean had said while repairing an anti-air gun, Shulk hauling together parts to form a turret on a nearby hastily assembled workbench. Dean sighed, turning back to the seam he was welding, “Just ignore it, these things happen.” The soldering iron started, then stopped after a few seconds. “They're just looking for any kind of comfort they can get. It's pathetic.” Shulk couldn't help be offended that something so serious was written off by a beta, someone who never came close to what he was going through.

The only alpha he ended up comforting was Reyn, coming back from a vicious ambush that was supposed to be a relatively safe supply run. Even then it had nothing to do with being an omega, it had only been through words he had used to try and comfort his friend through shock.

After Sword Valley and they finally had some resemblance of peace, the first couple of months after were sombre. Everyone was exhausted but working hard to get the defences running again. Then his heat came along per schedule, nothing unusual, but unusual that it occurred during an exceptionally peaceful period, and emerging from his sealed barracks reeking of sweat and emitting ether was the reminder alphas had apparently needed there was a young omega almost ripe for the picking. He had wanted it so badly too, in that dark room sweating and biting the knuckle of his forefinger when the desperation got so much more worse than he had remembered, just an alpha to make him complete. He was ready for it now, he needed it.

'That's something to look forward to', he thought while taking a sip of his early afternoon tea, taking a brief respite with Mefimefi up the steps of the lab. Quelling the desire to have an alpha's ether melded with his own, even if it had to be through something as carnal as regular sex.

People were openly staring after that, raising eyebrows and smirking if he glanced at them. Young soldiers got got their small personal appliances broken more frequently and he got larger rewards for it. He actually got a good haul of parts, but regretted he was unable to give Fiora any more flowers after the reputedly cool-headed Dean had launched a wrench at some poor soldier for bringing _“another bag of strong dandelions, really?!”_ and word got out that it was probably wiser to bring an engineer things he would actually be interested in. Erik had complimented him on his _“natural talent”_ and requested any leftover materials he didn't need were sent to him.

He was more glad he got his space back, no more having to find a new spot for a small bouquet when he had hastily thrown it on a socket he would eventually need.

Together with Fiora at Outlook Park they laughed the new treatment they were both getting to cover up their embarrassment. He just wanted to be with her, but felt so painfully incomplete with another omega's ether.

He would need a side – an alpha he could spend his heats with and would have no romantic attachment to.

He would later in fact learn that everyone knew that he and Fiora only had eyes for each other, and the apparent courting was purely for who would get to be his side.

“Is anyone in particular catching your fancy?” Face held in her hands, she watched as he wiped remnants of that day's soup off his lips with the back of his sleeve.

“No!” He laughed , “No, no. I don't - I don't really want to be with any of them.”

Because neither of them openly admittedly anything, she had said, “If you want to be with a beta, or another omega,” they had smiled at each other warmly at that, “you'll still need an alpha on the side to sort your ether out.”

“I know, it's just I didn't realise how badly it would get.” Smiling broadly, his eyes lit up looking at her. “But how's things with your alpha?” She paired with the one always selling ether lamps.

“Gugh,” she leaned back and rolled her eyes, “Alright, but the whole thing is so impersonal, which is so weird considering what we're doing. We're still learning each other's dos and don'ts,” she said through a stretched smile and rubbing the back of her neck. “It's nice and all, though. It's definitely something I'm getting into. But, part of me wishes I'd taken up Reyn's offer even though he obviously wasn't into it.”

He wasn't surprised, Reyn had extended the same offer to Shulk when reality about what was happening to his body was really starting to sink in. He'd stumbled through the offer, backtracking his sentences and looking at everything in the room except Shulk. It had been pretty clear Reyn wasn't quite ready and being an alpha could afford to wait a little longer, a luxury omegas didn't have.

“I wonder if it's better or worse that we can choose who we pair with. I kind of wish I could just get assigned an alpha.”

“What-” Her eyes twinkled in amusement. “-like you're given a bag of defence force issued tools or something?” She laughed.

“I don't know!” That was a bit of a silly thought.

“Trust me,” she said while rolling her eyes. “There's a reason we're supposed to choose who we pair with. It's...fun, but I don't think it would be if I was with someone I didn't like.”

“I'm not so sure about that. I just wish I had someone I knew I could go through this with, 'fun' or not.”

There's a few moments of silence while they stared over the colony, he didn't see Fiora's lips pull together or her eyebrows tense. “Have you...given Dunban any thought?”

His mind had gone blank and all his body had done in response is turn to stare at her, expression quickly becoming incredulous.

“I know it's weird! But think about it! You'd get alphas off your back, and Dunban would get omegas off his.”

“I think they want him on his back, Fiora.” He looked away as his mind started to process what was being suggested, face falling away to mortification and cheeks warming up. “That's way weirder than being with any alpha I might see at the base every day.”

“You know how formal it is being a side alpha. Plus I don't think Dunban even wants a relationship, but this way he could finally get an omega to help his ether balance. He's starting to really be affected by ether deficiency, especially after his injuries.”

It was a wonder how Dunban had made it this far without an omega. Shulk wasn't even out of his teenage years and already he couldn't stand the lethargy that came with being unpaired, and the ether burnout after each of his heats was only getting worse. But still he couldn't find it in him to respond to the suggestion.

“Plus people are getting ideas about it anyway,” she had commented softly, staring at him in sympathy.

He had looked down, stroked his hands together, attempting to focus on what he needed to get done back at the base and not how he had received confirmation of what he been trying so hard not to suspect.

There were several reasons for this hypothesis really.

Family wise it was smart. He wanted to be with another omega, but they wouldn't be able to biologically have kids and his body wouldn't last into old age without an alpha. This way they'd still have a child close to the family and Dunban would get to have heavier involvement in his child's - or childrens', he had thought which had caused a blush to simmer cheek to cheek - life and not miss out on anything.

Socially it wasn't a bad idea either. Both of them were soldiers, their lifestyles were similar so there wouldn't be a time when one of them would be off to war and the other would be at home. Dunban had helped teach Shulk how to fight with a sword, and used to regularly get him to assist in demonstrations. Other soldiers were used to Shulk being the one to support Dunban with sword drills and other small routines around the base.

But then there was the other thing that people were delightfully gossiping about, something that added a mysterious flair to whole mortifying situation. The Monado.

Shulk had been found beneath it, Dunban had been the only one to successfully wield it, then it went to Shulk for research with Dunban's injuries weighing over the sword's reputation. Apparently, it's immense significance as the sword their titan wielded wasn't as nearly as interesting as two people being “ _bound by the sword, you think_ _?”_

He heard Monica and Dorothy giggling one day about how _romantic_ it all was, which he had been forced to overhear as he fetched something from a container in one of the alleys near the lab entrance. This had been after Fiora's suggestion, and he was able to roll his eyes at the ridiculous notion, but couldn't resist clattering the crate against wall as he hoisted it over his shoulders to let them know he overheard.

Everyone loved to pair up alphas and omegas who were unpaired, and despite not openly hearing anyone talk about the components of his hypothesis he heard enough of Suzanna's gossiping about what makes a good match to wonder if people were thinking about him and Dunban.

After Sword Valley alphas culled their displays around him when Dunban was around. He thought it had been out of respect for the hero, but after his conversation with Fiora it occurred to him it may be because they'd been allowing the older alpha first pick out of some misguided form of respect. It was archaic behaviour for alphas to do.

It didn't stop things though. He was eighteen and he received birthday wishes coupled with; Raoul placing a hand on his shoulder as he was leaving for the day, Andreas throwing him a smarmy grin and waggling his eyebrows as he passed him back to the barracks, and Jan bluntly asking him to pick someone already and start having kids because there was a population shortage.

All he did was politely thank them or curtly brush them off, because a month and a half before his birthday _“Shulk, we need to have an uncomfortable conversation”_ had occurred, and “ _I thought it would be best if we discuss this now because of how impatient everyone is”_. Ultimately, _“It would work out best for the two of us”_.

He smiled as he stretched and collapsed onto his bed. He had felt a little nervous that he likely only had half a month before it was going to be sealed, then giddy that it was going to happen and he was finally going to stop feeling tired from his ether being incomplete, and overall relieved he wasn't going to bother with the hassle of courting that could potentially take years for someone who he only needed for a biological reason.

He felt proud, it was ingenious despite how flustered it made him and was causing him to keep a closer eye than ever to his heat calender.

That yes, he and Dunban had a long, long conversation that went well into the evening from what was supposed to be afternoon tea and agreed to do the most logical thing. _“It's just for biology, after all”_ the older man had pointed out.

-

Shulk heard his footsteps reverberate outside in the hall of the nearly empty inn. The haze in his mind immediately cleared and the heat blooming in his lower half froze.

He heard the doorknob click as it was clasped, there were a few moments he didn't breathe when nothing further happened, and then the metal gave a slow squeak as it was turned.

It was going to happen, the metaphorical bridge he was constantly being told about throughout puberty was able to be crossed and then torched afterwards.

His eyes slowly opened as he watched the back of Dunban emerge into the room. He stopped, and silently shut the door behind him without turning to face the bed.

There were another few moments of stillness, then he looked uncertainly over his shoulder at him.

“Shulk, how are you feeling?”

Terror had struck through him suddenly. “Fine, fine, just...” Their eyes locked, he let out a shuddering breath. “Nervous.”

Dunban's eye's flicked down and a slight smile appeared on his face. “Me too.”

He felt soft sparks of warmth settling on skin. Alpha's ether, he realised.

The responsible alpha cleared his throat and walked towards the bed. Without thinking Shulk moved across to make space. Dunban paused at the side and then sat down at the edge, upper back twisted to look the omega.

'How do we start this?' He was in his second day of heat, so his body should take over again soon, he reasoned. Half an hour ago he had been curled on his side gripping his hair because the desperation became so bad. Now he was excruciatingly aware of his own awkwardness. 'This is Fiora's older brother', was at the forefront of his mind.

But he could feel something he couldn't name coming from Dunban. He could feel it pulling at him, encouraging his muscles to make him move forward, but at the same time the air around the alpha felt heavy with pressure.

He resisted the pull, but gaped as the sparks began to fall faster and harder against him.

Dunban took a deep breath. “Shulk,” He turned away from him. The omega's stomach leapt into his throat when he saw his left hand reach towards the cravat at his neck. “If at any time during this you want to stop, say so.” His eyes tracked as the cravat was dropped on the floor, then as fingers undid the small clasp at the top of his red shirt.

“Yes, I will.” The force coming from him from kept him pressed him down against the sheets. He gasped for breath and clenched his thighs together as slick produced in response to the alpha's presence.

They doing this right away then. No talking about it. His heart hammered.

The shirt was thrown onto the cravat, and Shulk watched as Dunban reached towards his collar and began unfastening it. The pull overtook the weight as brown skin was revealed and his hand moved forward to run his palm from hip to rib. Dunban jolted and looked at him startled.

“I'm sorry, I - it's the ether pull,” he placed the offending hand over his eyes and laid back against the pillows. “It's so much. I've never-” he squeaked, more slick coming from that small touch. “...Been near an alpha when I'm in heat.” No, that wasn't right. “As an adult.”

His memory flit back to the first heat he went through when he was fourteen. Pain like he'd never felt, collapsing in the Residential District, weeping  _“make it stop”_ to Fiora and Reyn. Some alpha appearing and carrying him away to a doctor while agony tore through his lower half.  _“His body is aggressively reshaping itself. It's like this for the first year or so of heats for male omegas”._

He didn't remove the hand from over his eyes, he listened instead, which was still terrifying. He heard a leather parting, a gentle thump as a boot came off, then another one. Then he felt the weight on the side of the bed lifted, then more rustling and heavy fabric collapsing on the floor. There was pause, then a sound of sliding fabric.

He whimpered as the bed dipped again. The blanket pulled back briefly, not going below his waist. He pulled his hand away from his face and kept his eyes clenched shut.

Warm skin brushed over his own. He felt a strong forearm settled against his right arm and a hand stroked his right shoulder, the other arm fell into a similar, looser position to his left side. Shulk reached his hands up and held onto the alpha's biceps.

“You too, if you – you want to stop, say so.” Shulk got out and began to take deep, gasping breaths.

He felt the ends of hair brush his collar bone. He focused on the ether seeping through his skin as he penetrated, then the smooth slide of movement immediately afterwards.

His gripped desperately onto the alpha's arms, sweaty palms sliding from arm to shoulders to collarbone. Dug his nails into the skin there. There was a soft warm breath blowing onto his face.

Bionis name, what was the advice the older omegas gave? Remember to breathe - he gasped in. Be mindful - he removed his hands and gripped the pillow behind him. Focus on the pleasure – he felt something. He began to feel good, something definitely good.

Something building, getting hotter. The sparks were within his pelvis beginning to grind with more intensity and frequency. It was rough and imperfect but it was gradually taking him somewhere powerful.

He didn't know how long it took, eventually it built enough and then cascaded within him. He felt himself falling above from the bed, away from the circumstances, his body releasing energy to the Bionis.

His mind returned and he felt his walls swell. There was a grunt above him. Then slowing, and a another swelling not coming from him.

Right, right, this part. “Oh, ohhh,” He felt a chest gently fall on his own. Their bodies responding to one another, locking together. He felt liquid between his legs not coming from his slick.

They both let out breaths they'd been holding. Shulk felt more weight against him as the body let itself relax against him.

His face was sore from keeping it tight. He resigned to sliding his eyes open, saw Dunban's face slightly turned away from him as he panted, cheeks darkened with blush.

“Our bodies are releasing ether,” he commented, cheeks still hot.

Dunban looked down at him with bleary eyes.

“It's a type of ether that only occurs when alphas and omegas join.”

His eyebrows lifted up. “Something tells me-” He laughed a little. “The military won't be able to use it practically.” He smiled down at him.

Shulk laughed as well, giddy with relief. They have gotten through it.

Dunban fell against him completely. It was strange feeling his stubble against his jaw. This whole situation is strange.

“Isn't our biology odd? Why do you think only Homs have alphas and omegas?” He wondered aloud.

“More chances of breeding I've always thought.” The older man responded against his cheek.

His core clenched suddenly, and he grimaced with a hiss.

“Shulk?”

“Sorry, nothing to worry about.” He felt throbbing. “It still feels pretty good.”

Dunban nodded, a few strands of his hair fell across Shulk's nose.

It did. Now his mind was getting a respite, and the band-aid had been ripped off, he focused on the pulsing in him. He was told to expect joining to last for around an hour with an alpha of Dunban's age.

He turned slightly to look over at the bedside table, reassured by the two flasks sitting there.

Both of their breathing began to even out. Shulk's arms were getting sore from lying back against the pillow so he tentatively placed them over Dunban's back.

His mind drifted as it so often did to Fiora, how he won't get to see her for another four or five days.

“My mind's never been this clear during a heat before.”

“It usually lasts during joining and a bit after, then you'll back to how you were before.” Dunban took a long breath, let it out, then his breathing was completely normal. He sounded tired.

“You can sleep if you want.” He stroked his shoulder blades with his thumbs.

“It's alright. Is there...anything you want to go over?”

A unexpectedly strong throb pulsed within him and he couldn't stop the subsequent high-pitched moan. Only moving his left arm, Dunban leisurely caressed his cheek with the back of his hand.

He loosened his fingers when he realised he'd gripped the back muscles available to him. “No,” he managed, “Not that I can think of.”

He settled back, looking off to the side. They had talked about pretty much everything they needed to beforehand.

It continued to be strange. He heard so much about how special everyone's first time was, how it brought the omega and alpha so much closer together. If he was being honest with himself though, he wanted to let his mind go over the research he been going through over the past few days before his heat came around. A clear mind during his heat was an unfamiliar but welcome blessing.

The hour passed in calm silence – except for little bursts of pleasure that had Shulk whimpering – and it took both of them _“um, shall we...?”_ to separate across from each other from the bed, blankets pulled over their waists.

“Can you pass that flask?” Shulk sat up. He could not, under any circumstances, the seller had reiterated, forget to take this routinely during his heat to him when he bought it.

“Which one?”

“Either's fine.” He mentally braced himself as Dunban passed it to him.

He uncapped and then swiftly downed two mouthfuls before he had time to inhale the smell. It was thick like gravy and he could feel the chunks of ingredients in it. He coughed and screwed it tightly shut again. He passed it back to Dunban who was looking at the proceedings with apparent curiosity.

“So I don't get pregnant.” He gave a wry smile before his face screwed up again. It really was powerful, he still felt it coating his throat.

“Water?” Dunban sat up as well, still looking a bit worn out.

“Can't for another half an hour. No food either.” He was not looking forward to that. It was always going to be like this for every heat going forward. No matter how Fiora had warned him it was still foul.

The older man looked down, curiosity appearing to change into thoughts, then rolled over and moved to get out of the bed. Shulk looked away before the blanket had slipped from the alpha's body.

-

As Dunban warned, within a couple of hours his mind and body returned to it's usual frantic heat state. They repeated the process over the next few days usually around five times a day, pretty much the same as the first time. He could survive this new routine.

Dunban had rebuffed him once. The young omega's desire had been rising and the ether wasn't quite there, yet the impatience was. He had apologised and asked that they wait until both of their ether spiked which had wound up taking another couple of hours. It was agony, and he'd spent that time mostly face down on the bed gripping at the sheets, Dunban emphatically patting his shoulder.

The alpha wasn't nearly as needy as other omegas had described their alphas as being during heats. It was obvious he was falling prey to biology, but it wasn't with a ravenous edge he had heard so many alphas acted upon.

He also realised quickly that Dunban's injuries were still wearing him down and would take the opportunity when his mind was clear to help him wipe sweat and fluids away from his scarred body, a few times having to help him hold a bowl of soup as he tipped it back into his mouth. He found he liked watching the curve of Dunban's neck when that happened.

The joinings evolved as the days went on as well. His clear mind soon started to fade into something else when they were bound together, like it was getting hard to focus. It wasn't quite like a heat haze; he would get to a point where he was so content it was hard to think. He would have to ask an older omega about that later.

In the end they got through it. Shulk had gotten a proper wash and then helped Dunban do the same, embarrassment over seeing each other's naked bodies conquered when he had kicked off the blanket during a particularly fierce strike of want and they never bothered to pick it up again. The room had been hot with ether energy anyway.

“I'm going to head back to the base today.” Shulk grasped one hand awkwardly at his damp hair, recently having showered and dressed.

“Right,” Dunban responded. “I'll head home, probably through the Ether Light area.”

So it was agreed then, they'd let the ether coming off one another be the announcement that they'd paired up. Shulk's heat had ended the day before last, but he'd taken an extra day to recover. He usually didn't need a recovery day, but he hadn't quite been ready to face everyone else at the base yet. They were no doubt all aware he wasn't in the barracks for this heat, and everyone would know what it meant.

In the end he'd had half a flask worth of preventative left over which he was assured he could use again within a year if he stored it correctly. What was meant to be his fresh set of clothes were somewhat stale from failing to set it aside properly an being exposed to so much ether, which was a learning experience. Overall the whole thing was a minor, but manageable, inconvenience.

“Shulk, we need to do one more thing.”

“Right,” he hadn't forgotten, it was just such a big step as well.

He slid his hand down to the back of his neck and pulled his strands of hair up. Dunban stepped forward, looking uneasy, then reached around with his left hand and dragged his nails deep along the back of his neck. Shulk hissed, then dropped his hair as the other man's hand pulled away.

He could feel the foreign ether seeping into his neck, the fresh scrapes weren't going to emit anything too strong but they were sure going to be an announcement regardless.

Departing from each other had been suddenly and overwhelmingly awkward. Shulk had left feeling like a fool for saying “So, see you around.” While walking down the street in the early hours of the morning he resigned to clutching at his face and cringing while he thought of all the other things he could've said when he left.

Regret did nothing to quell the energy he had though. It was absolutely incredible, he felt as though he could work through all of next week and be singing while doing it. He wanted to skip to the base his body felt so light.

A few early birds looked upon his blissful mood as he walked by and seemed thoroughly bemused. He just wished them a good morning with a broad smile and carried on.

He'd gotten a wide grin and a _“Hey, Shulk, how're you're feeling?”_ from Arnaut as he ventured back to base. He made it to the lab with only minor staring, the betas rather obviously sidling up to a nearby alpha or omega to ask which alpha's ether was lingering on him.

A few alphas and omegas crept into the lab throughout the day with wide smiles, _“Heyyy, Shulk”_ s and conspicuously unimportant questions. They lingered for at most two minutes before looking absolutely gleeful and all but bounding back up the steps. He was in too good a mood to care.

Dean briefly came down to the lab around midday for some schematics and commented without looking up from the paper, “So, Dunban, huh? Smart choice.”

When he went out shortly after to get some lunch conversations noticeably stopped around him or were all about how nice the weather was.

Reyn lumbered onto the bench next to him, clattered his plate to the table and then took a drink from his mug. He asked without looking at him, “You good, mate?”

“Yeah, Reyn, I'm fine.” He smiled and picked at the food on his plate. “It's really just another routine I'm going to have to get used to.”

Reyn was the only one aside from Fiora that had forewarning. Interestingly, he had flared up when they'd told them. While Fiora had given them a serene smile, he had snapped at Dunban and launched himself to a fighting stance. It only lasted for a few minutes, and afterwards he had been extremely embarrassed and confused by his response. He had been blushing, Shulk had been blushing; it had been a stammering disaster before Dunban calmly explained that it was the alpha in him responding to another alpha imposing on a close omega. It was an instinct of entitlement from being so heavily involved in Shulk's life, and Shulk and Fiora had also received a heads up they would probably be impulsively rude at first to any omega Reyn pairs up with.

At evening when he was sitting for dinner a few older soldiers sat with him and talked with him like he was now finally and adult in their eyes. They talked about kids, starting families, how _“you're still a bit young for that yet”_ but giving him tips about it anyway. They all drifted over to talking about Fiora at some point and all smiled warmly at him when he talked about her.

By evening he heard it reverberated a dozen times that he had made a smart choice.

-

After the first month had passed in near constant anxiety until he had been told by a medic with an eye roll _“Yes, Shulk, you did everything right and you're absolutely not pregnant”_ he began to relax back into his normal life.

A lot of people seemed to treat him in a new way and they were just as likely to talk to him about how tiring it was making dinner as they were to talk with him about how a young man like himself should get more fresh air.

Fiora didn't treat him any differently. When they first met up she seemed a bit perturbed and he realised it was because she could detect her brother's ether on him, though after a few days she commented that it was just another part of him now.

All he told her about the experience was that it wasn't such a big deal like people made it out to be and left it at that. She agreed.

“It might be different if you were with an alpha you were in love with, most sides I've spoken with talk the same way.” She enjoyed theorising about their biology, he was glad he had someone to bounce ideas off.

They were wandering through the markets together during a day off for him, oblivious to the smiles of the residents that followed them. He wanted to reach over and hold her hand.

“It probably would be.”

-

He was wandering back from a meeting with Erik about theories on reducing ether cylinder use when another soldier swung in his direction.

“Shulk, come have late lunch with me,” Dorothy said and strode alongside him.

“Um, okay. Do you need something?” He was a little confused, they rarely ever had a reason to interact.

“It's just a little talk between omegas. Is your next heat soon?” She smiled and titled her head.

“Um, maybe a couple of weeks away?” He felt flustered immediately, he sensed this was going to be a whole new mature conversation.

“Oh, good, well I thought it wouldn't hurt to have a bit of chat, you know, just about some tips I can give you for heats.” Her smile didn't go away as she tacked on, “How to really make it feel good.”

“Ummm...” He really had no idea how to respond to that.

She tugged at his sleeve and redirected him towards the markets. “Let's go grab some curry then.”

They were sitting at Giorgio's counter waiting for their orders when she looked at him, empathy softening her smile. “How was your first time?”

His back went rigid. “Fine, it was just fine. From what I've been told it was perfectly standard.”

“Good to know, but there are ways to get above standard.” Her smile was now clearly forced, but she looked ready to power on.

“Dorothy, I'm not sure I want to know. Dunban and I aren't-”

“Yeah, everyone knows you're just sides. But, come on, Shulk, it doesn't matter if you're sides or not, you're supposed to enjoy it and have fun with it.” Her smiled eased into something more natural. “It's sex, not one of your machines.”

There was no saving him. Their curry was still at least fifteen minutes and all the other seats were clear.

“Look, I'm fairly new to it all as well but I think that's why you should hear some things that are helping me out.” Bashfulness seemed to finally humble her and she sat back and looked away from him. “I know you've got parts I don't, and I don't know how much that would change things, but, here's a start.”

It wound up not being as lewd as he was expecting, they seemed more like tricks than anything. Things like caressing each other beforehand, when best to wash or use oils. The rudest it got was an offhand comment that hands and knees was generally considered the best position for alphas and omegas.

Though there was still a flush across both of their faces by the time they'd finish their curries and it wasn't because Giorgio had put extra red lettuce in their meals.

“Well then, I best get back to it.” Dorothy slid her plate forward. “Maybe speak with Jiroque as well, he's like the only other male omega I can think of and he might be able to offer some tips.”

“Thanks for the advice,” he mumbled, though it still felt misguided. Thinking about attempting to make it a pleasurable experience felt like a betrayal.

“And also,” she added, slowing down from standing up, “Remember to try and make your alpha feel good as well.” She paused completely. “Okay, I'm not too sure about that stuff yet. But from what I've been told by the older omegas, stroking their face during joining works wonders.”

“Do you have an alpha yet, Dorothy?” He slid his plate forward and followed her in standing up.

“Not a steady one,” she smiled broadly. “But I'm going to try asking out Minnie sometime, not as a side either.”

He smiled back, despite that they were on different pages completely. She actually wanted romance with an alpha.

-

Interacting with Dunban remained relatively unchanged all things considered, they didn't catch up any more or any less than they used to and the only thing that really changed was Dunban making a point to scratch his nails down the back of his neck whenever they caught up. Keeping the ether fresh.

Two months after their first joining his heat arrived like clockwork. When he felt the tell tale warmth creeping up on him he went over to Dunban's house to give a warning and they agreed to meet at the same inn as last time in two days time when his heat would properly be under-way. The first day he was always exhausted, though still relatively clear-headed, and neither of them saw the point of putting themselves through that embarrassment.

He did wind up buying a set of oils and at a few older omegas pushiness an ether lamp with a gem slot. He had received a lecture about which elemental gems to use to help control the tremendous amounts of energy they would be generating into the room, which then turned into a conversation about controlling ether energy as a whole and a promise they would swing around to the base one day so the researchers could take notes.

He still blushed when Dunban stepped into the room though, still got nervous. His heat was worsening and he definitely couldn't think about anything more complex than how long it would take the alpha to get undressed, but he was at least self aware about it.

Shulk watched as Dunban began to undress and expected things to go about the same way as they did last time. He could already see the signs of his own ether affecting him, his breath was even but he could see his chest moving deeply. Yet his expression remained calm as he crawled forward onto the bed then settled on his knees aside him.

Shulk gave a loud whimper through his teeth as the sparks once again fell sharply against his skin and wetness between his legs ungracefully came forth.

He allowed haze to fall over his senses and he felt Dunban's hand on his thigh before he saw it. It slowly and unhesitatingly slid up to his hip, then his fingers fanned out and moved across his stomach to chest.

_'_ It's the ether on him' _,_ Shulk faintly thought as heat trailed where he'd been touched.

He felt his skin crackling everywhere else but where the alpha's hand had explored, a soft warmth instead began to spread from the hand gently placed on the centre of his chest. It made him sigh. The rising frenzy was being calmed by the touch.

He laid back, almost feeling relaxed, then realised the hand wasn't moving any further.

His vision cleared somewhat and he saw the man above him still. He drew his gaze up and watched Dunban's expression carefully.

The alpha's lips were pressed tightly together, his eyebrows flat. Shulk realised with near physical shock that he was uncomfortable, or perhaps uncertain? Something was wrong.

He sweltered with panic. “Dunban, we don't have to-” But it would be horrible if they didn't, and his body amped up the crackling as if to protest the mind's rational thoughts. “I can – I can survive. We don't have to do this every heat.”

Medically it was unwise however. Now he'd gone through a heat with an alpha his body would expect that particular ether regularly.

Dunban smiled even though it didn't reach his eyes. “It's alright, it's not that. It's just...” At this he looked away. “I was...given some advice, without asking mind you, about how to make this more enjoyable. Things such as touching.” His hand swayed slightly for emphasis, Shulk almost swayed with it. “But I'm extremely embarrassed to say I don't really know how I should even go about such things.”

Shulk didn't know if he could take any more of his emotions changing so suddenly. Disbelief overrode everything, even if just for a few seconds, and he stared unmoving with wide eyes up at his alpha.

Heat removing his brain to mouth filter, he asked, “Dunban, you haven't had a lot of sex, have you?”

That got him a genuine smile. “No, I... Only for ether balancing purposes. Mostly to get out of a rut.”

Shulk could barely fathom it, even without the ether sensitively and his focus on his work even he had found his gaze straying to the odd low cut blouse or shirtless soldier.

Relief allowed the haze entry back in. It was getting difficult to hold his thoughts together, he felt his heat pushing at all his senses.

“To be clear, I do enjoy having sex. This isn't in anyway distressing for me. It's just not something I've ever actively sought out, so I'm inexperienced. This is just biology after all, yet I don't want it to be uncomfortable for either of us.” He looked flustered. “And I've known you since you were young, it's a little difficult to adjust to this.”

“We can...” He had something he was going to say, but it was gone now. Instead he placed his own hand over the one still relaxed on his chest, then curled his fingers around the wrist. He didn't know what he was doing either, he just needed contact.

“Should I...touch you? Or anything?” he asked weakly.

Dunban shook his head. “No. I'd rather if you didn't. I'll take charge from here.”

He let the hand go as it moved down again, vaguely aware the man at his side was readjusting his position. He tensed when he realised the hand was going down in a straight line.

“Be patient with me, okay? And tell me what's good.”

“Oh, God,” he squeaked then bit down onto his forefinger. He heard about this from older omegas and beta girls when he was fifteen, guffawing at which alphas and men could apparently use their fingers masterfully and others which may as well have had a krabble claw.

Dunban's hand was so calloused. He focused on the roughness of his thumb as it ran over his meagre cock, then was forced to instead concentrate on his large knuckles as they gently stroked over his lips.

“Ohhh...” Then all thoughts scattered as a pushed a finger in.

“Alright?”

“Y-yes.”

-

Shulk all but floated away from the inn after his heat was over.

Technically over, but the day after it ended he was usually air-headed because his body was still releasing a low amount of heat ether before it cleared completely.

Things had been very, very different this time around. If this was what it was like being with someone with lack of knowledge, part of him hungered for what a seasoned alpha would be like.

It had been so eye-opening, such a breakthrough. He felt like a fool for not thinking sex could be more than just penetration. Even when his body had been begging for that, he'd learned he loved simply being touched and caressed more.

Dorothy could have anything she wanted made for free, stroking an alpha's face while joining had been amazing advice. Dunban had all but melted when Shulk had moved his fingertips down his cheek then cupped his jaw, which then lead to a wonderful conversation about his injuries and where his body was still sensitive.

From there they tried some oil on his injured arm because _“I've heard this one helps with scar tissue”_ , which lead to the further revelations that rubbing the skin after to create warmth was soothing to the muscles. They'd both gotten so caught up experimenting with small dabs by the time they'd realised how much they'd used their skin was shiny and they smelled like the organic market. They had laughed until tears formed for getting so caught up. He hadn't heard Dunban laugh like that for a long time, it had been wonderful.

Bless those older omegas for their insistence on the ether lamps. Using an electric gem when their ether had been spiking had caused them both to forget everything aside from each other, pleasure ripping through them with such intensity Shulk had been endlessly grateful the surrounding rooms of the inn were empty.

Then, the recalled fondly, one of the best things had been the water gems. At one point Dunban gave him some warning he was planning on turning down Shulk for some time, so in response he'd placed a water gem in the lamp and it settled both their ether greatly. Almost a solid six hours of calm before even the lamp couldn't fight back the heat anymore. He needed to test more when it would be most effective to use it though, they'd only tried it one other time and it had barely done anything.

He didn't get his clear mind while joining this time either, when they had been joined he had been so content he couldn't think of anything else aside from holding his alpha close. There had been no world outside of the two of them bound together, the only thing that existed was the skin he felt against his own.

He was working on some machine, some defence force object when Dean came down into the lab asking for help with something else.

“Of course, Dean! Anything you need help with!” He moved to grab his tool bag.

Dean paused and his face dropped. “I take it back, I can't deal with your post-coital cheeriness.”

“Okay, I'll just stay down here!” Back to work on this thing then, replaying the past week in his head over once more.

He paid no attention to the exasperated groan behind him.

-

“Have you two set any boundaries yet?” Perrine asked out of the blue while they had both been sitting at an iron table in the research labs, quietly reading the notes in front of them.

“Hm?” He glanced up from his report.

“You and Dunban,” she mumbled, not looking up from the pages in front of her.

“What about me and Dunban?”

“Have you guys set any boundaries?” she inquired while moving onto the next page.

He kept reading the section on emergency ether injections and how the latest tests showed it caused blockage problems minutes later. He reminded himself he'd been asked a question. “What do you mean?”

“Have you guys talked about where you draw the line with instincts? What's okay and not okay?”

He didn't realise he would have to. “I don't think we have to do anything like that. We're just sides after all.”

“I've had a few sides I've had to drop because we couldn't agree what we'd do with our instincts,” she disclosed, groping forward for her mug. “Always seems to come down to comfort stuff.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Mug in hand, she took a drink, eyes looking over the rim down at her pages.

They were both quiet again, absorbed in their reports. After a few minutes, Shulk was slightly less enraptured by the diameter of fuel lines and questioned, “How do you mean?”

“Well, after a consecutive heat together your body starts doing things on it's own for the alpha. Hang on,” she said then flipped a page quickly, eyes hard as she read a few sentences. After a few seconds she sighed. “So much for my breakthrough with sour radish. Anyway, for example one alpha hated it when I'd touch him after a huge workout. I couldn't really control it at first because I was instinctively trying to soothe him when his body was exhausted, but after a while I was able to ignore it.” She placed the report down and reclined in her seat, hands grasping behind the backing so she could stretch. “One alpha I hated that she would hug me when I was upset. She couldn't stop herself, so we split.”

“I've heard of acting on instincts, but I didn't think it would be that big of an issue.”

“Often it's not, especially because I'd rarely see a side outside of a heat, plus sometimes it's easier just to let it take over. But,” she shrugged then appeared to be steeling herself as she crossed her arms, “if you've got a side you want to stick with it's better to discuss these things because trust me, at some point it's going to get weird. You're with someone purely for medical reasons, but your body and instincts starts treating them like a lover. It can and will mess with your mind.” She leaned forward then snatched up the file with renewed vigour.

Shulk mulled over the words, eyes following the sentences on the page yet his mind drifting to what it would be like to act like that towards Dunban.

“And, you know, then there's the whole issue of how often sex comes into it,” she mumbled, fingers slipping between pages.

Still not used to speaking so candidly, Shulk gave himself a few moments to reply. “I mean, it's – you only-” He cleared his dry throat. “Like how often during a heat?” he guessed, voice raising in pitch at the last word.

“No, you sort of just go with the flow during heats. I mean outside them,” she continued to mumble, not taking her eyes off her report.

“You can have sex with a side outside of heats?!” Absolutely scandalised, the paper in his hands wilted as she took his full attention.

He could see her roll her eyes from the side. “You're so new at this. Of course you can have sex outside of your heat with a side. It's mostly something sides do when they don't have a romantic relationship. It's not my thing, I just know some that do it. Some even have a romantic relationship and still sleep with a side outside of heats.”

Shulk found himself lightly shaking his head. “I can't imagine that.”

“Like I said, it's not for every pair. All the more reason for you to discuss where to draw the line. For example, even when my alphas have gotten into ruts I won't sleep with them and will tell them to wait it out.”

“I mean this with genuine curiosity, Perrine, not as an insult, but you sound like you've got a lot of experience with having a side, isn't there someone you're in a relationship with?” He asked with his cheek leaning against his hand, exhausted by the report and dangling it with his other hand.

“I've never wanted one,” she responded without looking up.

“Really?”

“Really. I suspect Dunban's exactly the same, if he wasn't leashed by a biological chain as well I doubt he would even seek out romance or pleasure.”

Shulk mused over it, and mentally agreed with her.

-

A days later, Shulk recognised Dunban's ether from a distance for the first time. He was walking through the base and felt warmth hitting the back of his neck like a soft spray of rain, and it felt like Dunban's ether despite not seeing the man anyway close. It wasn't alarming even if he didn't recognise what was happening, and curiously, somehow knew it's origin was coming from the fortress entrance.

Gently rubbing at his neck he walked towards the source. It was a shock to see Dunban talking to Kantz.

'This is ether recognition between pairs', he thought excitedly. This must've been what it was like to first recognise language as a baby.

He didn't realise he had approached them until he was at his alpha's side. Their conversation tapered off at his appearance, though neither man looked bothered by his presence. It sounded like they were talking about the other colonies.

“Dunban, it's a surprise to see you here.” He had still been notably weak during their earlier heat, requiring assistance again.

“I thought you were nearby,” he replied while smiling. “I was feeling better so I thought I come over for an update on how we're doing for defences.”

“That's pairing for you,” Kantz interrupted, donning the smart-alec grin Shulk had seen so often the past few months when the topic of his pairing came up. “As soon you start getting an omega's ether you get a reserve of energy you never knew existed.” Kantz proclaimed then openly laughed. “Imagine if you'd had a mate a year ago, Dunban. You'd actually have completely wiped the Mechon out.”

Adding to the new feelings that came with pairing, Shulk felt a combination of irked and offended, and it took him a moment to suspect it may be jealously at another omega pairing with Dunban.

Kantz must've seen his perplexed expression. “Something up?”

“Nothing, just fascinated by instinct responses now I'm in a pair. I'd only just felt ether recognition for the first time just now, that's how I knew you were here.” He stated then placed a hand over his chin. “The way the senses develop really is fascinating.”

“It's different being permanently with one omega, as soon as you spend a consecutive heat together it starts to seal the deal. That's a first for you alright.” He nodded towards Dunban.

At this Dunban scoffed and looked away. Shulk presumed this had something do with the handful joinings he'd mention and wondered if it would be impolite to ask more about it later.

Then a sly smile spread across the old alpha's face. “Though...it's good you made a decision as quick as you did. I doubt Shulk would be getting a moment's peace if he was still unpaired.”

That brought the other alpha's attention back, then down onto to the omega obviously for an explanation.

He would not let all the prior courtship nonsense embarrass him any further. “It wasn't that bad! Just a few soldiers here and there getting a bit friendly.” He was aghast none the less and flailed for an explanation.

“Please, most the alphas around here were getting hot and heavy over the blonde-haired, blue eye-ed ,'untouched' omega down in the labs.” At least one of them was apparently finding this funny. “They were practically lining up at the door.”

Shulk watched with mild interest and concern as Dunban's eyes narrowed, then he felt a chill creep over his neck. The alpha's eyes closed and the chill quickly dissipated.

“Did you have to do that?” Dunban said while turning to stare at Kantz, irritation under the exhaustion in his voice.

Kantz laughed loudly again. “Couldn't help myself, just wanted to see if you actually had instincts. Bionis' name, Dunban, I've never known an alpha go so long without having an omega regularly. It's a miracle you could even get out of bed in the morning.”

“Well, it seems like they're all in working order,” he reported, inflection light.

Shulk couldn't think of anything meaningful to contribute. “I'll be off then, still got loads of work to do.”

“See you around, Shulk. Send me a report later about the weight reduction on the hover vessels.” Kantz nodded.

“See you again soon.” Dunban added and without hesitating reached around a dragged his nails through his hair and deeply down the back of his neck.

Shulk closed his eyes as it happened, ether bursting in the red marks it was leaving.

“Right,” he breathed as his eyes fluttered open, “see you.”

That, the nails down the neck in public, the gentle reminder and warning he was paired, was what finally got a blush out of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact! This whole story was just meant to be Shulk having a conversation with Melia explaining A/B/O and reminiscing about how he came to be paired up with Dunban. Boy, did I get off track.
> 
> To clarify a few differences between traditional A/B/O and this AU's A/B/O;  
> Biting necks = scratching down the back of the neck. Additionally, the nail scratching isn't a permanent mark, and unless it's maintained it will fade away. So there's no permanent bonding in this AU.  
> Scents = ether. The idea of using ether as the main driving force of this A/B/O's was something I decided on pretty quickly, so there's no scenting or anything like that in this AU. It's replaced by individual ether signatures that can rub off on each other so it's functionally about the same.  
> Male born omegas and female born alphas are intersex but only become that way during their puberty, up until then their bodies are identical to their biological sex.


	2. Colony 9 to Satorl Marsh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first chapter was my also my first instance of dipping my toe in writing in a looong time and in retrospect it shows badly. I wish I had've revised it much more than I did and part of me is still thinking about going back and doing so. Still though, it did lay the foundation I needed for the rest of the fic. And on the plus side, it's kind of fun looking back and seeing how I've improved here and there over several months by comparing an early chapter and a late chapter.
> 
> One thing I noticed in particular is that I had (have, I'm still trying to stamp it out) a bad habit of wording a situation then having the second half a the sentence start with 'but'. I had to revise sooo many sentences to get rid of that and I'm still a bit paranoid I've overused it. Seriously, let me know what parts you think I could improve on and what parts you liked, not just in regards to the story but (see what I mean?) also my writing style.

As Shulk was preparing to leave, with Dunban's sword none the less, his most prominent feeling was contrite.

He had failed to save Fiora and now he was abandoning her brother, who needed his ether to help stabilise his health and was taking his sword while at it. Because _“his health has made such huge improvements since getting a mate”_ wouldn't save him in the long run from the Mechon.

He didn't know if he would be able to use the Monado, he had mostly been putting his faith in his research, and then his alpha had vomited blood and the ether burst that triggered to protect him had been staggering.

He had seen it, he had seen the future and seen what would happen to him if he failed to protect himself, then he'd seen what would happen to Fiora and he hadn't been able to protect her.

And he _tried,_ he had _tried_ so hard to be there for Dunban afterwards, but their ether was melding into one and he could feel his alpha's pain burrowing through him. He had stepped next him and placed a hand on his shoulder and the sheer gaping grief had made him want to claw at his own arms for some kind of relief from it.

Dunban had told him Fiora wanted to protect him and to treasure the life she gave him and he could barely even give a response back.

They only had two heats together, he justified, they would both be able to get through the ether separation when his next heat would pass without the alpha.

'Dunban is strong enough to endure it', he kept telling himself while he stroked the red marks over his neck.

-

“You know, I've been thinking about it. Why you can use the Monado, I mean.” Reyn carefully moved down to a crouch, the weariness in his muscles evident. “Dickson told me.”

Shulk's own limbs felt spent, not appreciating strain he was putting his body through. The heaviness tugging under his eyes had been persistent for the last hour.

The journey through Tephra Cave was going as steadily as it could, with only a few days recovery from the attack on the colony there was only so much he felt capable of.

The air around them was musty and the faint glowing they saw from ether lights further along the cave was unsettling. Shulk expected to see a silhouette of a monster's leg cut across them. They'd debated about starting a fire in the first place, both having been worried it might attract monsters. Eventually they took the comfort of the fire and figured if monster were nearby their voices would be a beacon anyway.

Before Reyn had come over he'd been thinking that possibly if he had of moved through the Residential District and come from behind he could've stopped the faced Mechon. It was one of the dozens of scenarios that had been playing out in his head, wondering if that was the one that could have made a difference.

Talking with Reyn drew him from his theories, and even through the fog in his mind he appreciated the conversation. Discussing the Monado, his research, it managed to take him away from everything he could've done instead for a few minutes.

He needed to understand the sword, how else would he be ready to face the Mechon army if he didn't?

Reyn was standing up again he belatedly noticed and wondered how much his legs must've complained about it. “I've got it! You were chosen. By the Monado.”

“What? Chosen?” That's definitely an avenue he hadn't considered.

“Don't you see? Not even Dunban can handle it. It ain't chance that you can and he can't.”

Then he's reminded he left Dunban behind and hopes he's recovering okay even without having an omega's ether to expedite the process. He thinks of coughing and blood splattering on pavement. The guilt sneaks up on him again.

“He could wield it though. No one's even been able to do that before. I wonder, could him being my alpha have helped me control it?” he murmured. “Because we've now got an ether bond?”

“You think his ether might be helping you out?” Reyn looked interested at that.

“I've theorised. If the Monado responds to certain ether, maybe now I have it?” That was an ongoing idea and brought concern about what could happen when their bond become too tenuous and disappeared completely.

“Nah, man,” Reyn shook his head, his voice was gentle. “I think it's all you. Not even he could use the Monado the way you have.”

He's grateful for the compliment and rolled his shoulders to shrug off the weight that just came down on it.

Nothing but the crackling of the fire filled the silence of the cavern again, and he started thinking that if he had of grabbed an assault rifle before before they went to the Residential District he might've been able to get the faced Mechon's attention with a few shots.

“I'll take the next watch. You get some rest.”

-

“Did your alpha die when your colony was attacked?” Sharla asked as they trekked up the hill towards Kasharpa Falls.

Shulk didn't remember mentioning he had one and he felt compelled to comment as such. “How can you tell I have an alpha?” On that note as well, “How can you tell I'm an omega? Aren't you a beta?”

“I am, because I'm a medic though I'm trained to detect ether on Homs.” She didn't turn to face either of them and continued her firm strides.

“Very impressive, Sharla! I've never known a beta to be able to read alpha or omega ether.” Truly, most betas went through their lives blissfully unaware of the ether coming off the bodies around them. He didn't even realise betas had the ability to read ether like alpha and omegas could. In hindsight, it made sense considering the number of beta doctors he'd encountered.

Something all new for the three of them when puberty rolled around was recognising an individual's unique ether and their paired status. Being able to look at someone and immediately tell their second-sex and if they were in a pair was an unexpected and admittedly useless new sense. Differentiating Homs from their ether was much more interesting though. Like learning to recognise someone from their face or their voice, it just became another aspect of social interaction.

When Shulk had finally gotten past the first horrific year of heats and his body had finished developing into something that would allow him to carry children he'd been excited by this new ability. Fiora and Reyn had looked sympathetic when he'd enthusiastically told them that he could now tell who the alphas and omegas were from their ether alone, and _“sorry, Shulk, we could start to tell that a while now”_ because their transition into omega and alpha had been considerably less drawn out.

Betas never had any ether signatures so they were always closed books, which really in itself was a sign of what their second-sex was. By default alpha ether naturally felt a bit oppressive and in compliment omega usually felt alluring – or so he was told, being an omega himself to him other omegas felt airy, if he had to put a word to it. When alphas and omegas paired up it became something entirely new and exclusive to the pair while having the other's unique ether lingering on each other. The longer a pair had been together, gone through heats and marked each other, determined how strong the paired ether signature was until it may override their individual ether altogether. He was told that had happened to Marcia.

If Sharla could read ether, she must tell he's not giving off the usual allure of an unpaired omega.

“He's alive, but was badly hurt.” That image of Dunban hunched over, blood drooling from his lower lip flashed through his mind again. He couldn't stop the wince that run up his spine.

Sharla didn't respond, instead continuing forward like she had hadn't heard him. He supposed Gadolt must be an alpha.

The silence over the next several minutes allowed him to enjoy the magnificence around him. The grass was a crisp green and the plains were expansive, he could see gaps to landscape in the west where underground caverns were. He had to come back here sometime when things had settled.

He kept looking to his left to see the view again just in case they didn't.

Fiora would've loved this walk. The way Sharla's hair softly ruffled from the wind reminded him of her gold hair when they'd walk together up the steps to Outlook Park.

“He must be so worried about you,” she murmured so quietly he barely heard it.

It took him a moment to realise she was back on the topic of his alpha.

It was Dunban, Fiora's older brother, they'd know each other for years, of course he was worried. He throat felt clogged with guilt all over again.

“He'll be fine, he would understand why I left.” It might earn him and Reyn a right scolding, but he would understand.

“Yeah, besides, you don't know this guy. He's tough as nails,” Reyn added, which did make Shulk feel better.

“We're also sides, so there's no hard feelings.” That was important to add.

“Ah.”

He waited for her to follow that up with something, when she didn't they let the silence take over again. They continued walking quietly as they passed over the bridge and towards the colony entrance. The roaring waterfall was the only noise aside from their footsteps and monsters squawking in the distance.

-

He felt his blood burning as it rushed through him, he tasted metal in his teeth and his heart was swelling and pushing against his ribs.

He surged forward and brought the Monado down viciously on a row of metal claws. The sword bounced back hard and he felt the reverberation to his elbows.

“The Monado. Heh, it's been a while.” Like needles, metal flickered in front of him.

He could still win this. He would need to get in close. If this Mechon could talk it's face might be a crucial part of it, if he could get the Monado under it's chin and shove the blade upwards it may have some impact.

The claws stopped moving and steadily aligned.

“But you should know by now.”

They were pulling back, if he wasn't fast enough he could be impaled. His chest thundered.

The metal arms pulled right back, its face was tilted. Shulk realised he wouldn't have time and kept the Monado steady in front of him.

“The Monado can't stop me!”

The metal rushed from the left. He quickly titled the tip to cover his shoulder and had to accept the hit badly, feeling empty air beneath him for a few heart-stopping moments then hitting the ground shoulders first. Stones scrapped along his back and scalp as he slid back.

He wheezed, trying to get the air back in his lungs, the inferno that had been rising now sizzling out of him.

The Mechon was still talking and he forced his aching arms to move him up. Hands grasped at his shoulders and pulled him. He got to his knees before his stomach fell inwards and he almost doubled over completely. He forced himself to ignore the pain and finally got himself upright. Reyn and Sharla were caging around him while they prepared for their next move.

He distantly realised the back of his neck was the only part of him that still felt like it was on fire.

“Now, time to cut you down to size.” The left arm pulled back again.

They would have to be quick, get in hits when they could and not get bold. He prepared the Monado in front of him to block the next swipe if it's reach was too far to jump back from.

An explosion hit between them and it vaulted back screeching.

A rush of air filled Shulk's lungs when he saw Dickson above them on the cliff top. He heard him shout something, too far away to make out and then Dunban was rushing down the side of the cliff.

He moved fast and pierced two of the Mechon's armor; they fell to the ground rattling with electricity spitting out their joints. Shulk was dumbfounded that he was suddenly here, that he'd just seen his sword cut their armour.

Then the older man turned to him and began walking forward, confidence in his steps. Shulk's knees became weak with relief, he felt the air around the alpha reaching for him until it was firmly surrounding him, he felt warmth crawling down his shoulders from his neck. Dunban was _here._

But most importantly about how on Bionis had he cut those Mechon?

“Dunban! How did you...?!”

“Sorry to have kept you. Looks like we were just in time.” He smiled down at him and Shulk knew then they would survive this.

And they did, not saved by the heroes of Sword Valley but a creature that he couldn't get a good look at. As it tore through the air around them he'd felt all his energy sweep out of him and then return as it shot off again.

They were all coming down from their adrenaline, the Mechon having retreated for now. At some point it had started raining and he was beginning to feel it soak through his skin.

It didn't come as a surprise to learn Dickson knew Otharon, especially when they recalled the battle a year ago.

Dunban's troubled gaze on him did catch him off guard though and he returned it anticipating the admonishment he and Reyn were likely about to receive. His lips tightened and he looked like he was debating something before he stepped forward to Shulk, after raising his arm and hesitating placed a hand on his shoulder.

“It's good to see you're alright. I could feel your distress for the past mile through our bond, I was wondering if we were going to get here too late.” It sounded like admission of some sort. The hand slipped from his shoulder, sliding on his arm along the way.

“I'm glad you're here, Dunban.” He was, having the hero of the Homs and the Monado's owner with them was going to make this so much easier. If he was honest with himself, having Fiora's older brother with him was a relief.

Plus, he wouldn't be at risk of his ether becoming unbalanced after his next heat and the exhaustion that would couple with it.

“Wait... Dickson? Dunban?” Sharla interrupted, recognition creeping over her face. “You're the heroes who risked their lives a year ago, in the battle to defend the colonies.” She looked at Shulk with undeserved awe. “Shulk, Dunban's your alpha?”

Dickson looked over at Dunban with a pointed stare. “A surprise, isn't it?” Shulk knew he was still somewhat off-put because “ _I'm not upset or anything, I just wished you would've given me a heads up is all”,_ otherwise he was fine with their pairing.

He turned his attention back to Sharla. “But nevermind that. What's a pretty young lady like you doing hanging around with this bunch of slackers?”

While there was talking in the background, he and Dunban let their gaze linger on each other. The feel of rain drenching through his clothes and the chill sinking into bones quickly faded away. Long droplets of water were running from Dunban's forehead to his jaw, his hair was flattened by water and stuck to his cheeks and neck. He eyes were gentle on him, softly blinking away the water caught on the eyelashes. Shulk just stared at him, feeling more at peace as the seconds ticked by.

A gentle pressure came down on the back his neck. The alpha carefully and swiftly reached around scratched across the spot he felt the sensation before stepping back to rejoin the conversation. Like turning on the lights again, the rain was falling on him once more. He fought back the sigh that wanted to come out.

“A Telethia. So that's what it's called.”

“A mystical beast that protects the Bionis.” Shulk mused over, mind rejoining the conversation. “When it came close to us it felt like I lost all my energy.”

“You felt that too?” Reyn voiced with worry. “I could barely stand for a second there.”

“Be careful of them,” Dickson's tone took on a hard edge. “Us betas aren't affected by those things but alphas and omegas are. They can manipulate and draw ether energy out from creatures and the Bionis.”

“So because alphas and omega are more sensitive to ether they can exploit that?” Shulk was genuinely curious now. It might be worth the risk to research one, it was a debate he could bring up if he met up again with the other researchers.

“Exactly. Best to steer clear of them where possible.”

If it had of stayed longer than it did Shulk thought he might have collapsed. It was hard to say how much of it was due to fatigue from their consecutive fighting, surely that had exacerbated it, but the suddenness of it's effect was concerning. He hoped he wouldn't come across them again.

-

They tried to stay on the ramps and grass where they could. As if to challenge them Satorl Marsh repeatedly proved to them they couldn't completely avoid slogging through the swampland. Shulk's lower half was thoroughly soaked through by the time the sun was beginning to set, adding to the increasingly tattered state of his clothing. He had debated buying a new outfit from the Nopon merchants but decided against it, figuring he could probably get through a few more battles with his current clothing.

They had rested at the entrance of the Colony 6 ruins the day before. He, Reyn and Sharla all but falling asleep as soon as they collapsed onto their sleeping rolls and hadn't woken up until the sun was prodding at them. He'd felt god-awful as he'd blearily come around, body aching and fresh scabs in his scalp, mentally preparing himself to set out again after breakfast. As he'd been eating a juicy broccoli his arm had been shaking with effort to bring it to his mouth and both Dunban and Dickson had immediately shut down the idea of continuing that day.

Otharon had started up again at him for needing to rest, until Dunban eventually had enough and reminded him he was also in the presence of his alpha and insulting him was beginning to set him off. He was sure Dunban would have defended him, paired or not, it was only heightened by the instincts. Regardless of the circumstances behind it Otharon backed down to the more powerful alpha.

Reyn was equally as exhausted, clearly limiting how much he had to move his arms yet was antsy to get moving. Sharla checked their injuries and was visibly relieved that were all just scrapes and cuts, then would either sit reclined against the colony wall, staring into the rubble and not moving, or avoid looking at it for hours at a time.

Juju tried unsuccessfully to draw them into discussions about rebuilding the colony and eventually left the three of them alone after Dickson told him to knock it off.

They'd all felt desolate despite their victory, the reminder all around them of what the Mechon were capable of if they didn't hurry.

It was hard for him to stay positive the following day. Everyone else appeared to be in a similar state of mind. Shulk tried to keep his mood optimistic because he knew it might affect Dunban if he let his misery take hold, so he quietly endured the unrelenting dampness and bit back any complaints that he wanted to voice. He couldn't read the alpha's mood and he hoped it was a mirrored situation. Aside from feeling intense grief after Fiora's death he'd never read his feelings through ether. He didn't want to go through that feeling again.

When night came around and ether bloomed from trees it lifted their spirits. They'd slowed and all looked around in awe at the beauty around them, blue dotting the trees and breathing into the air. Sharla commented that no matter how many times she'd seen it Satorl Marsh at night always floored her. Shulk took it all in himself then thought momentarily about telling Fiora about it, then he remembered.

They'd rested that night up high where a powerful waterfall droned behind them. They were all silent most of the night, Shulk taking the opportunity to sketch what they'd come across into a newly founded section of the Collectepedia. Eventually Dunban had sat next him as he'd finished drawing an odd cup they'd often come across since crossing into the marshland and after much deliberation with himself given it a name. They were quiet, then they talked about ether, then they were quiet again, simply marvelling at the atmosphere around them. The comfortable silence stretched on and Shulk relished the rare opportunity to let his guard down and just enjoy the scenery around him.

He didn't realise what he had done until his head was lowered on Dunban's shoulder, the older man's soft long hair tickling his face. He was in a blissful state of mind for a few seconds, staring at the glowing night sky around them, then the realisation of what he was doing sank in and he jolted up.

“I'm so sorry, I don't – I think that was instincts or something.” He gawked out at the swamplands, mortified and unable and to recall any thought process that led him to do that.

Dunban laughed quietly and a little awkwardly. “It's alright, I get that you did it without thinking. It's only biology making you do this after all.”

To his surprise, Dunban's hand came around on his shoulder and pulled him close. Shulk looked up at him wondering what this was all about.

“You've had a rough time of it, Shulk. You know I'm here for you regardless that we're paired.”

There he was, there was Fiora's big brother that had comforted him so many times growing up.

Shulk felt his shame slip away. Dunban had helped him understand things all throughout his life and this was no different.

He smiled up at him and Dunban smiled back. “Thanks, Dunban. I needed to hear that. The same goes for you, alright?”

Still, it was hard for Shulk to sleep that night, the embarrassment lingering over what he'd done coming in waves. It was like going through puberty again where his body betrayed him by doing it's own thing no matter basic social etiquette.

The next day was more of the same. They tried to avoid the Ignas' as much as possible but they were plentiful and they were forced into a decent number of fights.

It was almost worth it to see Dunban fight with so much enthusiasm. He seamlessly became a soldier again and had side-stepped or twisted out of the way of almost every attack while landing nothing but clean hits. Juju had looked starstruck after the first fight he saw, even Sharla had noted that he would give Gadolt a run for his money.

Once Shulk had watched him leap back to avoid a sword blow when he could have dodged in a much simpler skirt and realised the energy he was putting into his movements was excessive, but he supposed there was nothing better for a born and bred soldier than returning to the battlefield.

He did scoff at the showmanship of it though. Dunban heard him and looked his shoulder at him with a grin, the scaled monster beneath him croaking out and twitching under his boot.

“Not humble, are you?” Shulk called out as he disengaged the Monado.

“Come on, Shulk, you left less than two weeks ago, don't tell me you're already worn out?” Dunban teased before turning back and granting the dying creature mercy by stabbing it deeply in its chest.

He could tell it was lightening the older man's spirits as well, the way he'd throw himself into the skirmishes and the smirk that occasionally appeared after they'd win a fight. In turn Shulk's mood was lifted seeing him enjoying himself and he'd discovered after they'd walked away from another fight, smiling at each other, their ether was melding together again and making the atmosphere pleasant. So that was the secret, they both had to be in the same mood for Shulk to read his ether and when it occurred it would strengthen what they were feeling.

When they retired under the Glowing Obelisk Dunban had been the least battered of all the fighters barring Dickson. Shulk thumbed a new cut in the hem of his sweater and wondered if they could find time to go over some stances.

With no monsters around and becoming accustomed to the beautiful trees, there was no distractions for him and his thoughts eventually dragged back to Fiora's death and the vision he'd seen. The fading ether mood he'd been sharing with Dunban was lost completely when those thoughts overtook him. He looked over at Fiora's brother while he peacefully slept, shame roiling through him, then moved another side of the light to dwell some more. He chalked the feeling to his omega side feeling like he'd wronged his alpha. Rationalising it didn't make the guilt go away. Talking later with Dickson didn't help him much even if it got a few things out in the open.

Everyone else dozed off and hours later he was still watching the marshland, listening to the growling and splashing in the distance.

It was still dark when he felt warmth on his neck and heard someone walking around the light. Shulk continued to stare absently forward as Dunban paused next to him and then slid down against the stone to his right. Their arms were touching. He was tired.

“You may be able to get a couple of hours of sleep in before we leave,” he stated, voice a bit raspy with sleep. “There will likely be more fights tomorrow.”

“I know. I just...” Claws dripping with blood. “It's just not coming to me. Don't let me keep you up though.” He clutched the Monado close to his chest.

Dunban nodded and yawned, joining him in gazing ahead. Shulk looked at him briefly and saw darkness under his eyes.

They didn't talk further and fatigue was making him dizzy. He closed his eyes to escape the blue blurring around him and rested his cheek on his knee.

Tips of fingers hesitantly touched his neck where the renewed marks were.

“Mm,” was all he could convey.

They began brushing over his neck in a steady circle, sometimes leaving his skin and returning seconds later. He felt a thumb stroke over his hairline then fall down briefly to the curve of his neck. After a while the touching stopped all together.

Shulk opened his eyes to thank Dunban and was startled to see daylight amidst the fog and the grey trees. He was sitting alone, and based on conversation he heard in the distance had been for some time.

He rubbed his eyes and moved himself over to where the rest of the group was chatting.

They'd made it to the Sororal Statues by early afternoon that day and resigned themselves to climbing. It had been hard, his body punishing him for getting little sleep. He managed to make it lighter by telling himself the view of the marshland would be even better at the next ledge they got to. By the time they reached the summit the trees was alight again.

As they were catching their breath and giving one last looked at the view, he allowed his gaze to turn to his alpha, watched the light on his dark skin and reflecting in his eyes and the guilt he'd been ignoring for the past few days became too much.

“What is it, Shulk?”

“It's about the Monado. I'd like to ask your permission to use it a little longer.” He had to ask, he had taken it without warning and had left him behind. Titan beneath him, he should've brought this up days ago.

Dunban looked nonplussed. “Why ask me?”

“The Monado was your sword.” It still was his sword. “But... I need it to achieve my goal. So...” Should he even be asking something like this of his alpha?

Dunban's laugh didn't quell his emotions. “Don't sweat it. You are far more skilful at wielding that thing than I ever was.”

Calling the sword the Bionis wielded a thing jerked him into incredulity.

“Keep it,” he said warmly, “It's yours. Beside, I have a new sword. That old coot had the decency to forge this for me. I owe it to him to make the most of it!”

“Dunban...” It still didn't feel right.

“Don't let your instincts cloud you on this. I know because we're in a pair you feel you need to walk behind me. You've fought your way this far. That is proof enough the Monado has accepted you.”

Right, the higher part of his mind was self aware and knew part of these feelings was the omega in him telling he'd transgressed his alpha in some way, hearing it said aloud helped dispel it.

Smiling down at him as he'd done so many times when growing up, he said, “Don't take my word for it. Believe in yourself, Shulk.”

This time though, that smile rose a blush on his face and a fluttering in his chest, something the higher part of his mind also frowned upon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter retreads the XBC 1 cutscenes a lot and naturally I only realised that well after I'd written it. Future chapters won't do it as heavily as this one and it will be much more broken up.


	3. Makna Forest

Less than half an hour walking in Makna Forest and he'd already rolled up his sleeves in some attempt to get rid of the sweat clinging to him. It wasn't even daylight yet and it was already horrendously hot. Sharla looked sympathetically at them as they peeled off their clothing, Reyn removing his top and Dunban stripping his upper half down his white shirt. Shulk had found himself staring a little too long at Dunban's neck and the top of his chest as the shirt was being loosened. He couldn't convince himself he had been staring into space and Dunban just so happened to be in his line of sight.

The chatted a bit with the Nopon merchants and camped for the night nearby. If they weren't so exhausted from the climb then he doubted they would've been able to sleep through the heat.

Shulk relented the next day when the sun came up and sold the colony clothing he was wearing and bought a full set of gear made by Makna Nopon. They insisted he had to have the feathers in his hair, and made him sit while they delightedly painted his arms with careful markings.

They moved onto Reyn next, who didn't even want to buy anything except new arm-guards after his soldier-issued pair became too dented to be functional, but they were surprisingly forceful with their haggling and he eventually caved in and bought something for his torso. Shulk openly laughed as he'd sat down on the grass pouting, two Nopon beaming as they dragged brushes over his chest.

Sharla was able to get away with only buying something for her hair and replacing her boots, Dunban buying a hair accessory to keep it up and help him keep cool. They hid their laughter as the Nopon informed Reyn and Shulk the paint would take around a week and a half to come off. This caused Reyn to kick up a fuss anew about not being told this beforehand and Shulk had to stifle his laughter into the crook of his elbow to try and show some solidarity.

Judging by the sun, they didn't end up leaving until early afternoon.

They encountered danger frequently as they trekked through the jungle. The monsters were easy enough to handle, his concern was how long it would take to get through this section of the Bionis and more importantly if the next area they got to would be safe or have any privacy. By his estimate, his next heat would be in little under two weeks time. He would need somewhere to get through it safely, somewhere without having to battle a monster every hour.

When they'd set out he and Reyn had make a loose plan that they would utilise a cave, or something similar, when that time came around and the alpha would spend the week guarding against anything while he suffered.

It was a deeply flawed plan, one they had made when their grief was still raw and they were only thinking about fighting the Mechon. There was no way having an alpha being so close to an omega, paired or not, was going to be safe. Reyn probably would've gotten thrown into a rut so badly he would venture off to fight whatever he could until it dissipated, leaving him unguarded for monsters and Mechon to pick off. Not even mentioning the exhaustion he would feel after the heat, it would've taken another two days of lounging before he would've recovered, possibly more because it would've been his first heat since pairing without an alpha.

But now that Dunban was with them it presented a whole new issue. There was no way they wouldn't join regularly during his heat, neither of them would be able to resist each other because they were paired, and he absolutely refused to go through it without a guarantee no one would be able to hear them or detect their ether. He was paired now, he had to be even more private about his heats than he had been in the recent years. It wasn't like he was a fourteen year old going through his first year.

During his first year, in between all the painkillers in his system making him barely conscious during his heats, all he'd wanted was for someone to hold him through it. It didn't matter if it was an alpha, an omega, or a beta, he just needed someone to console him.

A few times that had been Dickson, silently sitting next to him on his bed smoking and leaving his hand on his shoulder, making sure he ate and took his painkillers at safe intervals, wiping sweat from his brow when needed. That had mostly been during his first few heats, when the pain was at its worst.

He'd spent that first year in and out of the medical centre of the fortress base where it was easier to monitor him. When his heat had been coming close he'd been confined there until it was well over. Doctors were constantly checking in on him, there had been little privacy. Usually the room would be empty, if it was really needed a curtain would slide around his bed and other soldiers were brought in to other beds. Never alphas, as was explained to him by a medic after one his heats, the ether he gave off during that time was distressing for them to be near and would negatively impact their health, _“too detrimental to their recovery”_.

When he got through that stage and moved onto _“official heats”_ as Fiora dubbed them, he'd usually just hole himself up in an inn room he was kindly offered. He didn't want anyone coming near him during that time, no matter who they were, even if they were an alpha. He'd curl up in bed, deal with the onslaught of hormones and desire, and then suffer through the ether burnout the days after it ended.

As he'd gotten older, one particular instinct had gotten stronger, aside from the hair-ripping desire, and that had been having somewhere constant and safe to ride out his heat. Nesting, was the slang that omegas used.

When he'd officially joined the defence force he'd been both terrified and grateful to learn the barracks had isolated rooms for omegas in heat. Rooms that locked from the inside and only certain staff had keys to unlock externally. After his initial wariness wore off and he went through one heat in them he'd appreciated the shielding from the outside world, something only other omegas could truly fathom.

There were designed with nesting in mind, Emmy Leater had later pointed out to him after she'd emerged bedraggled from one of them. Assortments of food stores against the walls to provide both perishables and dry goods. The bathroom being mostly open and having easy access to the base's hot water. Most importantly, she had sighed while casting a whimsical look in the room's direction, huge lavish beds you wouldn't find anywhere else in the barracks, topped with at least five pillows and four blankets.

Really, the room was at least 60% of a good heat, the other part was the alpha.

'Maybe 50% the bed', Shulk thought as he once again had to remind himself to look away from the stubble building up around Dunban's jaw and the gleam of sweat on his neck. Bionis beneath him, he didn't know why he kept doing that, each time he caught himself his stomach gently turned. _“It's for biology”,_ Shulk heard Dunban's voice echoing in his head, reminding him to pull his gaze away.

-

Later, when he was collecting the pure water crystals and speaking with Alvis, whom he wasn't quite sure what to make of yet, he heard a clicking roar and monsters shot down over them.

“Alvis, get out of the way! I'll deal with this myself!”

He drew the Monado and charged. He would have to get it away from the other Homs, he didn't have any visible weapons and could be injured if he wasn't careful.

A vision flashed before him, telling him it would come from his left with it's claw. “From the left?” He threw himself to the right. “Then I'll go...”

The strength in him was sucked out with such ferocity he dropped the Monado. Like his bones had the marrow taken from them and the sinew in his muscles had unwound, his body went limp and he he could only watch with terror as the ground got closer. Then the creature swung it's claw from the right and sent him soaring back so hard he bounced on the ground.

He tried to sit up, his body wouldn't follow. He got his chest partially up and and then fell to the left on his elbow. His hair fell over his eyes and he scanned for that creature, sweat rising on his face and skin hot.

“How?!”

What little energy it hadn't sapped was pulled from his shoulders and he cried out and fell onto his side completely. This must have been what sleep paralysis was like, his mind was lucid but his body wouldn't obey.

He could see the thing circling in the air through strands of blond hair. He heard its growls in the distance, knew it would be coming back for him.

Alvis was still nearby. Panic lurched up from his stomach as he fought to move his arm.

“It is a Telethia.”

He heard footsteps behind him, then Alvis knelt down at his back and placed his hand on his upturned shoulder.

“They can read your mind, and emit ether which does this to omegas and alphas.” He removed his hand and stroked his palm over the blonde hair flaxen against his cheek. “Whether you have a vision or not, if they know your next move and can incapacitate you, it's all in vain.”

He flexed his mouth, he needed to ask how he knew about his visions but his lips remained slack.

Shulk felt the hand remove itself from his cheek and saw the shape of Alvis right itself.

“There is only one way. Stop it in its tracks, then dull its perception.”

He heard the other man running away, quickly coming into his view in the distance and snatching up the Monado as he dashed forward.

The panic reached his throat and he croaked a vowel. He couldn't warn him what happened to people who carelessly wield the sword.

He saw a green light come from the Monado, different to any other symbol that he'd seen. 'A new symbol!' was all could think, words unable to pass his lips.

He saw Alvis swing the Monado and green encase the Telethia. Like someone had carelessly dumped a bucket of water on him his ether fell back into him. He gasped and shot upright, scrambling to his legs and running over to the bank as Alvis sliced through the blue skin. The ends of his arms still felt weak and he tripped once before he reached the other Homs.

He watched the monster remain airborne and completely still, twitching intermittently and it's tail thrashing. “That was amazing!” He had so many questions.

“I suggest you stop staring.” Alvis turned to him and threw the Monado. It twirled in the air and he ungracefully caught it with his arms, closed blade swatting the knuckles on his left hand in the process.

He looked behind him in shock when a hand came down on his left should this time.

“The sword is yours to wield.”

They defeated the Telethia and spoke afterwards about the Monado in a way Shulk had never done so before. Alvis talked like he understood the sword in a way he never would, like he knew each of it's individual layers and how to make it function.

He looked at Alvis, dark brown skin and near glowing white hair, and settled on staring into his eyes, something the other man had returned. He was mystified, there was something off about him, something that separated him from other Homs. What it was though, Shulk had no idea.

He must've been a beta as he couldn't detect alpha or omega ether, and he wasn't affected by the Telethia. Yet, there was an air around him, almost like ether was moving through him.

“Who are you?”

He was aware of the soft ether falling on the back on his neck, that it was increasing in intensity and tingling, he was being called. Yet he couldn't pull his attention away from the Homs in front of him.

“Shulk!”

He turned and waved Dunban over as he saw the man run down to the bank.

“Shulk,” he started as he came to a stop in front of him. “You've been gone for some time. We thought something from the forest might have come at you.” His breathing was heavy, likely he'd been running for some time. Dunban reached for him placed both hands on his shoulders tightly. It didn't feel familial like he was used to, oddly more domineering than anything.

“Sorry, Dunban. I got attacked by a Telethia.”

Dunban's eyebrows knitted together. “I knew something was wrong. I felt pain in our connection for a moment and I thought the worst had happened. You should've-” Dunban stopped himself and his lips pursed.

Guilt took over the mystification he'd been feeling. “Dickson was right. It saps our ether. It was like nothing I'd ever felt, I couldn't even stand.”

Dunban didn't respond, but the hard line of his mouth informed Shulk he was still coming down from his worry.

His body moved forward, then he reached up and cupped his alpha's face. “I'm alright. I'm safe now.” He lightly slid his hands down his stubble, intending to stroke his thumbs down his neck for reassurance.

He stared at the lines on his neck, had his hand tenderly moving down the muscles when he caught himself and froze, mortification instantly frosting his chest. He made the mistake of looking back at Dunban's face and saw the man's startled expression.

“I...” He removed his hands like they were burning him and took a full step back, shrugging off Dunban's hands on his shoulders at the same time.

Titan beneath them, he'd forgotten Alvis was watching all of this. He turned, more so to escape having to apologise for his instincts taking over again for a moment there.

“Alvis, I'll introduce you to...” he trailed off, not seeing the man amongst the foliage.

His distinct appearance wasn't anywhere. But, he wondered as looked at the small area with only loudly flowing water surrounding it, there was nowhere for him to disappear to.

Dunban cleared his throat. “Alvis? Who's that?”

“He was another Homs. He was right here, I swear it.” He stepped to where they had been talking just minutes before.

“Shulk, there's no one else here.”

“He taught me how to unlock a new power of the Monado. He helped me fight off the Telethia.” He turned, pulling the sword of his back and activating Purge. “Look.”

Dunban's tense expression went slack immediately and he stepped forward. His left hand reached out for the Monado, stopping shy of the red hilt near Shulk's hand. “...Amazing. You're sure someone taught you this, it wasn't a hallucination due to exhaustion?”

“He was real, Dunban. I'm not lying.” He looked back over his shoulder, hoping Alvis would manifest again. He still couldn't see any indication the other Homs was ever there with him. He didn't understand why he would hide now.

The soldier quietly withdrew his hand. “Did you get the ether crystals?”

He didn't believe him then. Shulk said nothing and shut down the Monado.

Dunban looked ill at ease.

“I did,” he mumbled compliantly. “Good quality ones, too.”

“Let's hurry them back to Sharla then.” He turned and started back towards the way he appeared, not looking over his shoulder.

They walked swiftly and silently back towards the cliff. Shulk made sure he was following.

Something had soured the air between them. His annoyance at not being believed, by his alpha of all people, and his instinctual reaction to reassure Dunban were probably the causes. He was too indignant about Alvis being dismissed to feel ready to apologise about what he'd done with the instincts.

When they'd been climbing the greenery up the cliff he'd thought he was ready to apologise, then he recalled Dunban's sceptical expression at his story and got annoyed all over again. He knew if he attempted it now it would come out wrong and would start a potential altercation. He ran the argument they would have in his mind over and over as he channelled the frustration into strength to climb. Dunban could apologise first for dismissing what he'd said.

He'd cooled off by the time they reached the Nopon bridge, believing he'd caused more worry and trouble today. He should make amends for what he'd done regardless of his annoyance that Dunban didn't believe him about Alvis. He was too ashamed to say sorry though, he felt like a child getting upset at an adult for not listening to them and then getting huffy over it.

He looked mournfully down towards the water crystal deposit where he'd met Alvis, wooden planks loudly clattering underneath them.

Shulk intended to apologise about the face-holding from some point then on, each time he worked himself up to do so though his throat would tighten.

Dunban, ever mature, said as they were walking silently along an overrun trail, “It's alright about before, Shulk. I understand that it was just your instincts making you do that. That's what this all is after all, instincts and biology.”

The omega winced, his face scrunching up. He was too embarrassed to respond.

“It actually felt nice, the way you touched my neck like that,” Dunban murmured, so quietly it took Shulk a few seconds to comprehend what he'd said.

Time to talk about where they drew the boundaries with instincts, just as Perrine had said they should. He took a deep breath to prepare himself.

“I'm sorry, it was still out of line for me to do that. I'll try not to do it again. I didn't even realise what I was doing.”

Dunban stopped in front of him. Shulk stopped as well, aware of his cheeks burning and heart crashing against his ribs. This was going to be as terrifying as their first time together.

A few moments passed, he fought back the urge to flee or brush the conversation off and keep walking.

“Should we talk-” he started, not sure how to go further, “talk about boundaries?”

Dunban looked over his shoulder ruefully. “Okay.”

Shulk nodded and stood, arms hanging at his sides and looking down. He initiated this, and only after did he remember he had no idea what he liked or didn't like when it came to instincts.

“I... I think-” He looked over to a Deinos that was foraging a fair distance away. “If I do something that upsets you, you should just tell me right away. Or in private soon after if you don't want to talk about it in front of anyone else.” He clenched his fists, loosening them to reach up with his right hand and ran his fingers through his hair, gripping the strands at the base. “I'll let you know as well if I don't like something.” Bionis, having sex for the first time paled in comparison to having to get through this. He thought he might be shaking.

Dunban took a moment to respond. “Simple enough, what things do you think you'd like?”

“I, um...” The Deinos was now scratching at the dirt with it's huge talons.

Dunban waited for a few more seconds before talking. “I didn't mind when you touched my neck before, Shulk, but I'd rather if you left my face alone outside of heats.”

Shulk nodded, cheeks burning.

“If you do get the urge to comfort me, I'd prefer if you touched my right arm.”

He snapped to attention.

Dunban was looking at him softly. “Particularly the scar tissue, your ether is...alleviating to it.”

He let out a shaky breath. “I can try do that. Though, I might slip up.”

The alpha nodded lightly. “That's alright, we'll get there.”

There wasn't anything further to say, but this all felt incomplete, one-sided.

“I like it when you touch my neck outside heats,” he blurted out, “not just for marking.” Time to get it all out. “Just like, when you touch sometimes before you scratch, it helps get me out of my thoughts and stops me thinking about-” About Fiora, it stops him thinking about Fiora constantly. His stomach lurched with guilt. He looked down at the dirt under him.

“May I try that now?” Dunban had moved in front of him and he hadn't even noticed it, too caught up with metal and screams and a limp arm swinging from the mobile turret.

Shulk nodded, slowly removing his hand from his hair. He didn't expect Dunban to start off by wrapping his arms around his shoulders and tugging him close. The side of his face fell into the other man's neck and his good hand came up his crown. He closed his eyes as the hand stroked down the curve of his skull and neck, then covered the area with the marks. Shulk reached up and held the biceps of his damaged arm.

“I think you just need some comfort,” Dunban said softly.

This felt right, it was unpolished, but how it should be. They could get learn this of each other, just like his heats, this would be something they would adapt to. Shulk wanted to adapt to it, he couldn't deny to himself that he liked experiencing this with Dunban.

The animal noises of the jungle faded out. He heard the wind rustle the leaves and cause the branches to clatter together, the Makna Falls roaring in the distance, could picture it cascading. The temperature ceased being oppressive and he felt at ease in his skin. He felt calm, he felt Dunban's peace, they were both settling.

“I like this,” he admitted quietly. “When our ether joins.”

“Let's follow our instincts,” he felt spoken into his scalp. “We'll let each other know after if it's no good.”

Shulk nodded.

They embraced for few moments longer, then slowly parting, eyes meeting as they did so.

There was a moment where they were looking at each other, where Dunban's hand was cradling the back of his neck and he was clasping his arm, where there was silence between them and all around them in the jungle. It felt like something was about to happen, or should happen, but he didn't know what.

Gradually a pressure started on the back of neck beneath Dunban's fingers despite not feeling the man pressing down.

When they stepped away from each other, it felt like they'd missed something, but Shulk knew whatever it was would've been intense, and he thinks he's glad it didn't happen, yet felt regret at it passing him by.


	4. Makna Forest to Alcamoth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big chapter here, even though its been months since I wrote it I was never able to find a way to break it up into something smaller.

The day after what Shulk had been mentally referring to as his and Dunban's moment they were refreshing themselves at the Sparkling Pool to escape the heat for an hour.

Shulk was standing at the bank, enamoured by how accurate lake's name was and thinking how Fiora would have loved this. As Dunban passed him to step into the water he smoothly scraped his nails over his neck without stopping. Used to it by now, he didn't react and continued staring into the crystal-like water.

Melia was sitting on her knees behind him. “Why did he put ether on you like that?” She enquired after Dunban had swam a fair way out.

Shulk was little surprised to hear that question and thought the answer was pretty obvious. He turned and sat near her. “Well, he is my alpha after all. Its how we maintain our ether bond.”

“And he does that by scratching your neck?”

“Yes, haven't you seen that before?” It was something that was more socially acceptable to do in private, but occasionally it could be seen done in public, more often as polite reminder that the omega was mated and to please stop flirting with them. He and Dunban didn't exactly have privacy while travelling so it was something they got into the habit of doing offhandedly.

Her expression was stiff.“Forgive me, where I come from alphas and omegas are extremely rare and I'm unfamiliar with the rules and biology.”

That caught him off guard. Betas usually only made up around a quarter of Homs population, to hear there was a whole colony consisting primarily of betas sounded a little alien.

“So then....” She looked briefly over to the water. “He is your husband?”

To their right Reyn burst in uproarious laughter.

“No, we're sides,” he said through a smile. Melia stared blankly at him. He frowned at her, meeting her expression with confusion. “Alphas and omegas need certain ether from each other. Dunban and I became a pair just so we can get that ether. Didn't you hear about that at all?”

“I see. I was only aware of alphas and omegas wedding like most relationships.” She frowned over at Reyn who was now chuckling to himself as tried again to scrub the paint on his chest off.

“Well, it's a bit inconvenient, but if we're in a relationship with someone we can't get that ether from, we have to pair up with someone from our opposite second-sex.” How to word this, she was looking intrigued but confused. “So, while we can be in love with a beta or someone of the same second-sex, for health purposes we still have to pair up.”

There was clearly a question she wanted to ask and was far too polite to say aloud.

“We get that ether mostly through sex when omegas go through heat,” he informed, wondering if this is what teachers felt like when explaining it to a classroom full of pre-pubescent students. “It's not like a proper relationship, its much more formal.”

The very faint blush on her cheeks didn't get past him. “That happened to you, then? You were in love with a beta or a fellow omega?”

The sound of scrubbing behind him stopped.

It was true, and he wished he had admitted to Fiora before she died. When he went to explain it, he was struck with the revelation that no one hadn't even asked Shulk if he thought he might fall in love with an alpha, everyone had presumed he'd only wanted a side. It could be because he'd wanted something temporary until, if, he entered a relationship with an alpha, but that seemed extremely unlikely.

Melia mistook his hesitation. “I apologise, clearly that was out of order for me to ask.”

“It's alright. It's not rude at all, it's just...she passed away recently and it's still a bit painful to talk about.” It was a solace to say it aloud, get it out in the open.

She placed her hands together in her lap. “My condolences.”

“Thank you.”

They were both quiet for a few minutes, everyone resuming activities and Shulk mentally tallying the day range he expected his heat to arrive in, trying not to think of sitting by the shores like this with Fiora, trying not to feel guilt at watching her brother swim bare-chested in the distance.

“May I ask what the purpose of heats is?” Melia asked. “I've heard they're the most defining thing of an omega yet I don't what it does for the body.”

“It's a our fertility period. It's when I can get pregnant.”

It was comical how her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She looked scandalised and Shulk couldn't resist grinning.

“Why the surprise?” he asked in between laughter.

“You're a male! I can't believe the rumours are true! Male omegas can carry children?” She leaned forward to him. Her eyes darted to the side and he could tell another thought had come to her. “Can female alphas impregnate others?”

“Yes and yes,” he said while smiling. It reminded him of a time a reclusive Nopon merchant that once visited their colony and all but fainted when a female alpha offhandedly mentioned fathering a child.

“But how?” She shuffled forward again.

“Bionis, do they not even teach this to you guys?” Reyn scoffed, mirth behind the question.

Shulk outwardly ignored him, internally amused by the remark regardless. “When I went through puberty I developed female beta organs. I lost some of my male parts in the process, not all though.” What an embarrassment that had been.

“So then you're...both?”

“No, I'm still a male first, but omega second*.” That was probably going to be the best way to explain it.

“Just wait till he gets pregnant and develops tits!” Reyn announced behind him.

“Reyn!” he barked, spinning to look at him aghast.

That was too embarrassing to think about. Even though they were guaranteed to be small and only apparently lasted for around a year and a half after pregnancy, it was still something he doesn't think he'd ever be prepared to deal with.

Melia appeared to have more questions but was digesting the information given to her. Instead she looked back at the path they came.

Dunban came up the bank some time later when Sharla was shoving everyone out so she could _“properly”_ bathe. Water was sluicing through his hair and down his bare chest as he emerged from from the lake.

Reyn was already packing up a fair distance away and Melia and Sharla were watching his uncoordinated stuffing with pursed lips, so Shulk was free to indulge the view without being judged.

Or so he thought.

“Shulk,” Dunban called softly, bemusement in his face. “You're staring.”

“I know,” he answered, the cut of Dunban's hipbones currently holding his focus. “Should I stop?”

“I would prefer if you did,” he said with a slight frown, and Shulk felt pressure on the back of his neck. “You're not exactly looking because of instincts, are you?”

“Um, I don't think so.” He looked off to the side, figuring that was more polite.

-

Their journey wound up being peppered with Melia's questions. It's was amusing for them all and lightened the mood of the trip. It was pleasant to see her mind taken off what had happened to her comrades for a few minutes before she'd go back to stony silence. The questions were innocent enough as well, things like asking if there were a lot of male omegas _“no actually, only about a fifth are male”_ and then having to flip to confirm the same applied to female alphas.

“Do alphas get anything like heats?” she asked while they were walking along the bridges

“Bionis, no.” Reyn replied while continuing to stare ahead.

Dunban was eyeing the Orlugas and other enormous monsters roaming beneath them when he spoke up. “The closest we get is ruts. But they're irregular and are only triggered by something.”

“They're pretty useful actually,” Reyn added. “You get an ether burst like nothing else when in one. We usually find a way to deliberately trigger them before going into a long battle to keep us going. Like being near an omega in heat and such. Absolute pain when they're not wanted though. And the only way to get out of one without waiting it out is to get with an omega. Their ether does something to our own to bring us out of it saf+ely.”

“It's not something omegas always do though,” Shulk added.

“Well, when you're in a pair it is,” Dunban chimed in.

“You don't say,” Melia loudly contemplated.

Shulk had thoughts to contemplate on as well after his alpha's declaration.

They made it to Frontier Village in just over a day after resting at the Sparkling Pool and spent a full two days preparing there at the Chief's insistence. It was nice, they camped beneath the bridge and occasionally curious Nopon would venture over to them to start conversation. Melia had been given her own area to sleep in elsewhere and every so often they'd trek over to speak with her.

Shulk just wanted to get a move on though. The village was completely open and the houses were Nopon sized. His heat was around a week away if they were lucky and he hadn't seen anywhere remotely safe in Makna Forest or private in Frontier Village. He was going to have to hope somewhere in Eryth Sea there was somewhere sufficient they could get through it.

His concern was beginning to get overwhelming and he deemed it important enough to bring up with their future host.

“Melia, have you got a second? I need to speak with you about something.” She was on the balcony on the third floor again, staring into the distance.

“Yes, Shulk?” she spoke to the horizon.

“It's about when we get to Eryth Sea, are there any inns there? Ones close to where we'd arrive?” he asked a little desperately.

She turned to him with an eyebrow raised. “Of course. Though your tone of voice indicates this is more important than finding somewhere to sleep.”

“I'm going to get my heat soon, sometime over the next week.” She looked alarmed. “Dunban and I will need somewhere private,” he added gently.

“I... And you can't wait?” she questioned, no doubt recalling all they'd talked about over the last day.

“I can't control it, but I can predict when it's going to occur because it happens every two months. Melia, one thing I didn't mention is when I go through this I'm going to be extremely vulnerable. I can barely take care of myself and it won't be a good thing if I'm around other people.”

She took a deep breath. “I will personally see to it that you are housed somewhere safe. I can't imagine that's something you'd want other people to bear witness to.”

“Not at all,” he agreed.

She looked back across the jungle, eyes fixed ahead. “I must admit I find it quite alien how you can separate romance and...intercourse so casually.” She delicately cleared her throat. “It's something I can hardly fathom.”

“Hm.” Shulk joined her in staring off into the distance. “I guess as a species it's just something we've always had to do. It's better than being married to an alpha for the sake of being with an alpha.”

“I imagine that's true,” she commented quietly.

Taking down the Telethia and returning took them another five days. Riki knew where the creature was, but they were forced through multiple delays due to the Hodes and having to find ways around the enormous monsters that lurked the forest.

It hadn't been too perilous, as soon as it came down upon their group he'd activated Purge and felt the beginnings of his energy being taken while it covered the monster. He'd cast it quick enough that he, Reyn and Dunban had only stumbled before starting their attack.

He was in awe by the way Melia manipulated ether, he'd never seen it done by bare hands. As it shot out from her fingers he could detect so much power in it. It had a strong signature as well, something personal to her. Something all new from a beta.

Along the way back, when Melia hadn't asked any alpha or omega questions in a few days and caught them off guard, she spoke up again. “Shulk, you said you're heat will be soon and you'll be spending it with Dunban, correct?”

Starting to get a bit personal, but he decided to answer to find out where this was going. “Yes, that's correct.”

“So... Are you trying to get pregnant?”

In the span of a few silent moments Shulk thought about getting through the rest of his journey with a swollen stomach and myriad of other symptoms he'd heard the other omegas and female betas complain about. Then about coming out of it afterwards, still grieving Fiora and having to go through the arduous process of rebuilding the colonies while also nurturing and watching a baby.

The same thoughts apparently flashed through Dunban's mind as well because they simultaneously threw their heads back and began laughing hysterically. He had to stop walking and place his hand on a nearby tree to support himself he was laughing so hard.

After a shameful amount of time, he regained composure, feeling a little guilty at Melia's annoyed expression and got out, “Absolutely not!”

Grinning and shaking his head, Dunban clarified. “Maybe one day, if the situation with the Mechon improves and things are more settled.”

“There's a concoction I take to prevent pregnancy.” His sides ached. “So we can go through it together without it happening.” Wait, that was something he didn't pack when he set out. “But, damn, I didn't bring any.”

“It's alright,” Dunban reassured, patting him on the shoulder as he passed him. “I was given some before I set out.”

“Shulk still a littlepon himself,” Riki mused. “Not yet ready for his own.”

“That too,” he agreed and ignored the other implications of the statement.

The feast that greeted them when they returned to the village was an enormous, there were dozens of servings of forest vegetables and meats presented on large wooden bowls and leaves. The group had torn into it, even Melia seemed to be struggling to use her manners.

They got to chat with Oka and Riki's children a bit before they left. Being around such a large family was a delight for Shulk. They bounced and danced around him, eager to hear about his Hom Hom village. He watched as Riki and Oka clasped their wings together as they talked, staring into each other's eyes while their children chattered around him. As he said his goodbyes smiling, his gut clenched as he lamented what he never got to experience.

They had arrived at Eryth Sea late at night, gawking at the vastness of the clearest waters they'd ever seen resting peacefully for miles, then the floating city in the distance that held itself up with scientific measures Shulk was desperate to understand. Melia seemed pleased by their reactions and promised them a good view of a star shower if one happened. They didn't know what she was talking about, and all enthusiastically agreed regardless. They elected to immediately set up a camp, deciding it would be better to make the trip during the day. They talked while rolling out their packs and bed, Melia's bright eyes fading as they relayed the stories of the lost colonies to her.

Shulk had hoped he would his body would obey common sense and his heat wouldn't start until they got to Melia's colony, but evidentially he got unlucky. That night he woke and felt embers fanning in his centre. By tomorrow night he would be in heat, if he was extra unlucky it would happen by midday. He should be preparing to set up a room, he despaired, not walking through a full colony.

He sat up, mind alert and anxious, terrified about what how it was going to play out. The sea breeze cooled him as it tousled his hair and clothing, not quelling his sense of dread in the slightest.

“Shulk, mate,” Reyn groaned while rolling over to face him, eyes closed and face clenched, “Why're you up so early?” One eye opened and his face loosened - he'd detected it. “Oh.”

“Yeah,” he said to the night air, “not good.”

Eyes closed again, Reyn threw his arm back and clumsily hit Dunban in the shoulder. The older man woke with a curse and glared over at him.

“Reyn, why?” he croaked while squinting.

“Shulk's in pre-heat.” Reyn mumbled, sleep beginning to take him again.

Dunban's looked hard at him, albeit blearily. Hair was messily falling over his eyes and the part of his nose he could see. He felt a pressure swiftly rise on his neck. “Shulk, come here.”

“Dunban-”

The pressure got firmer. “Now,” he demanded, voice a little clearer.

Without stopping to think about it, he stood and grasped the side of his sleeping roll. Dunban's firm eyes followed him as he dragged it around the bodies lying around them, shoving it next to his alpha's roll so that there was no gap between them. He settled down on his mat again, on his side facing the other man, a little nervous, then Dunban fluidly swept his strong over his back and pulled him to his chest. Shulk whimpered a little into his collarbone, and uncertainly put a hand on him, unintentionally feeling his steady heartbeat. The remaining rational he had pointed out to him what they were doing and he blushed.

He could hear so many noises around them; the Lunar Grady splashing in the shallows, a monster crooning from one of the floating isles in the distance, the clacking of the Cruz Pagel shells by the shore. Dunban's breathing was slowing and he knew the man was falling asleep again. He found himself clenching the shirt over the heartbeat.

He whispered so only his alpha could hear, “I'm scared this time.”

“I know,” came the whisper back, so tenderly into his hairline, “I'll take care of you.”

He knew that statement came from a familial side of Dunban, yet Shulk felt flattered, and caved in to the urge to press him face into the other man's neck.

Fingers caressed his neck, and sleep eventually came.

He was woken by a broad hand stroking his hair and someone softly calling his name. His forced his eyes to obey, managing to get them open and saw his alpha kneeling next to him and staring down in concern, hand now still on his hair. It was bright around them and Dunban had donned his shirt, cravat and cloak again.

“We'll eat and then head out,” he promised. “How bad is it?”

The fire was building and he wanted nothing more than stay on his flimsy roll with it's poor excuse for a blanket. He tested his legs and found they may as well have had heavy Bunniv iron attached to them. There was warmth all throughout his body and he couldn't feel the coolness of the sea breeze any more.

He pulled the blanket tighter around him. “I haven't got much energy.”

Dunban nodded. “We'll make what you have count.”

He helped him sit up and placed a leaf-wrapped bundle of cooked mushrooms in his weak hands. His appetite hadn't been affected yet, and after a few nibbles found his stride and was able to find the strength to chew with more enthusiasm. Melia wouldn't take her eyes off him the whole time.

He stared wearily at her after as he finished and folded up the leaf.

“I...” She blinked a few times, mouth momentarily agape. “Shulk, are you aware of the ether you're giving off now?”

“Yeah,” he replied feebly, “in a few hours I'll be in heat.”

“It's something I've never experienced before.” She was still staring at him. “It's highly alluring.”

“Er, pardon there?” Reyn looked amused as he asked.

“That was forward of me to say, but I felt it appropriate to tell you.” Her face became stern. “If I'm feeling this pull towards you it's likely when we get to Alcamoth there will be others experiencing the same.”

“But you said there are mostly betas at your city,” Reyn stated, staring at her like she'd tried to tell them the sky was green. “You're not supposed to be affected like we are.”

“It appears that isn't the case.”

“So this is a warning then,” Dunban rose up and strode towards direction of the city. Shulk felt a chill on his neck as he watched him pat the hilt of sword, a gesture he came to believe Dunban did for reassurance.

Summoning energy and figuring they were about to leave regardless, Shulk stood up and walked over to him. As he approached he reached out and took his right hand with both of his own, Dunban responded by intertwining his fingers. He was aware this was more intimate than they would ordinarily be, and felt Reyn's stare at the back of his head at the overt display of affection. He couldn't help though when he was so close to his heat, all his instincts were being amplified.

He watched with worry as his alpha's expression dropped.

“I think I'm going to really be fighting my instincts today.”

“You fight instincts!” Riki shouted abruptly behind them, causing them both to look back. “Riki fight for Shulk! Riki and friends protect Shulk!”

Serious mood thankfully broken, they both smiled at the declaration and looked back at the city.

Shulk stroked his free hand up his arm. He knew he wasn't talking about how would act around him.

“There's going to be a lot of people drawn to my omega who's in heat,” he spoke, sounding like he was trying to devise a strategy, “Forgive me if I am unlike myself.”

They moved slowly towards their destination, deciding to avoid running and monsters. Dunban walked next him the whole time, presence constant and formidable. He was on edge, that much was very clear, and he was emitting ether Shulk could faintly detect was exerting pressure around him. When Melia wasn't trying to look at him, he saw her look at Dunban with slight fear. Reyn eventually encouraged her to walk with him and he could faintly hear him giving her a small lesson of alpha etiquette.

By the time they got to the first transporter he was winded and grasped the railing as soon as it came in range. Dunban immediately put a hand on his lower back, asking for updates on how he was feeling, telling him if they needed to stop they could. Shulk subtly took his wrist and moved his hand away, letting him know it wasn't a gesture that was working for him.

“Right, don't like that then?” Dunban quietly affirmed and took his hand back. “Need a break?”

He looked proud when Shulk shook his head and said they can keep going and gently steered him towards the ethereal blue light Melia was presenting them.

He thought they had been making good speed, but despaired when he realised the sun was already directly overhead and they weren't taken directly to the city. Melia presumably saw his expression and hastily reassured him that they only had to go to another island after this one and they were there. The island was relatively small with only a couple Nebulas floating around, although he still felt vulnerable when they came too close.

There was a white machine he recognised from _that_ day at the colony in one of the corners of the island. He looked at Reyn who was staring at it in stunned recognition and shifted the gunlance to his arm while they passed it.

“We saw one of those things,” Shulk managed as it passed out of view. “Back at Colony 9. It was guarding the Cylinder Hanger.” Just before the sirens started.

“You have?” Melia enquired. “They're a High Entia defence weapon.”

“Remind me to tell you about it sometime.” Because there was no way he could afford the energy to talk then.

The next island was much larger. As they got off the platform and onto the slight rise Dunban went still, snapped Shulk's upper and pulled him behind him. He looked ahead and saw a group of Hodes patrolling a small area and an Ansel speedily circling the air of the next section of the island.

“Reyn!” he called while guiding Shulk to sit down.

Shulk didn't fight it, feeling like he'd just gone through his monthly fitness test and wanted to collapse as soon as his knees folded on the ground. Dunban was pushing down on his shoulder with his bad arm, a firm order to say where he was, while his other arm was pulling his sword out.

Reyn shot forward with Riki behind him. Melia looked at him with uncertainty before drawing her staff and following them. Reyn may have told her to partake in any fights to show she wasn't a threat herself. As a beta that she shouldn't even have to, but her ether didn't follow the same rules theirs did and the alpha's instincts were likely aware of that.

“I've got him, Dunban, you head out there,” Sharla reassured while steadying her rifle in front of her.

Dunban nodded and darted forward. The Hodes were down to one and Shulk could only see that bird flying around. The higher part of his brain acknowledged this was excessive, but the baser part was relieved they were taking these measures.

It was getting bad, the heat wasn't quite there and it was rapidly fading his stamina in it's build up. He lowered his upper body forward rested his forehead on his fists, trying to muffle the sounds of cutting flesh and screeching. His neck felt like it was burning from a soldiering iron. There was a reserve of ether in his limbs ready to flood him if his alpha somehow failed to protect him, a good biological defence despite it being currently unnecessary.

Sharla didn't touch him. He knew as a beta and a medic she would be allowed to. She must have worked out in this state Dunban would appreciate her ready to defend him over trying to soothe him.

He tried to shift his mind away from the scene around him, tried to think about how Dunban's instincts were taking control of him, how fascinating it was to witness to distract himself from all the sensations pressing at all his senses. Yet his concentration was non-existent and he couldn't keep a train of thought going, so he instead focused on the padding of boots getting closer.

“He needs a moment,” he heard Sharla say above him.

“There were a few more Hodes up ahead. We've taken care of them,” Reyn advised.

Shulk flattened his palms on the dirt, took deep breaths, then lifted himself back onto his knees.

“This may be inappropriate from what I've been told so far,” Melia started while clasping her staff close. “Couldn't Reyn carry Shulk?”

“Absolutely not,” Reyn said quickly. “I'm another alpha, it ain't right for me to touch an omega I'm not paired with so close to heat.”

“I'm ashamed to admit it, but it would get a bad reaction out of me as well,” Dunban confirmed.

“Let's rest here for a bit.” Sharla settled down on the ground.

They had a small meal consisting of cooked bread from the Makna Nopon, dried fruit had been kneaded through it and it broke easily enough when bitten into that Shulk didn't have too much of a hard time chewing. He silently bemoaned that in just a few hours he had lost so much strength as Dunban helped him drink from one of their water cannisters.

Small talk was exchanged which Shulk was only able to contribute occasionally to.

“I can tell why you're so weak, Shulk.” Melia was looking at him now in sympathy. “Your body is giving off a huge amount of ether, so it needs to get a lot back to replenish itself. Is that where an alpha comes in?” she asked Dunban.

“Yes. This isn't even a proper heat yet. Once that stage hits if I wasn't around he'd come out of it in a much worse state.”

“Ether burnout,” Shulk contributed softly.

“It's when the body doesn't recuperate any of the lost ether and has to build it back up on it's own,” Sharla explained. “It's far worse for omegas. Alphas get their own version, but it's less predictable and happens more so after ruts. From what I've been told from both alphas and omegas it feels terrible and gets worse as you get older.”

“Like a bad hangover,” Dunban commented wryly, using his sleeve to wipe away a drop of liquid that had fallen from Shulk's lip.

He had to help him stand, left hand gripping his upper arm to encourage his movement. Riki dashed over to his other side and held his biter up so Shulk could grip the top like a cane. He needed their support for a few steps before he was able to walk on his own. By the time he got to the next transporter he was ready to collapse again.

Dunban steadied him by putting a hand on his lower back once more. It only lasted a few seconds before he must have remembered and withdrew it to instead offer his arm. Shulk gratefully latched on and leaned most of his weight on him as they walked through.

A surge of relief rushed through him as he saw they were definitely at the arrival platform and he hadn't misremembered Melia's directions. She lead them forward with resolution, her back now rigid.

As they stepped up to the transporter five figures stepped out of it first. Shulk let their appearance distract him for a few moments from his impending heat. He was sure it would hit in the next hour.

“Welcome home, Lady Melia,” one greeted and they all knelt down.

“Lady?” Dunban questioned. Shulk felt his chest vibrate while talking.

“Huh,” was all he could add.

She stepped forward. “Thank you, Captain. These Homs and this Nopon are my guests. That one-” She looked over at Shulk and nodded in his direction. “-is about to go into heat. I want you to take him directly to a private guest room along with the one holding him. See the rest safely to the guest quarters. Give them anything they need.”

To Shulk's immense joy and confusion, they replied, “As you wish.”

He heard Reyn and Sharla make a few comments behind him, but was too distracted by his own ignorance. How obvious it should've been to him and that he didn't even consider what she was.

“Melia, are you...?” was all he got out before he openly cried out. His core flared, burning him like a spit of oil from a hot pan, and just as quickly disappeared.

The High Entia looked to him.

“Do not let any High Entia approach him,” Melia order sternly.

He saw an image of her wearing a mask and kneeling. In his fevering state it took him a moment to determine it was another vision and not something in front of him.

After arranging to wait for her after his heat they waited for the High Entia to return as Melia promised. When they came back with swords and shields Dunban shifted him so that he was leaning against his left side with his arm over his shoulders. Shulk rested his head into his collarbone and it reminded him of the night before. He heard Reyn angrily say something behind him.

“Need to rest,” he muttered into Dunban's chest, unsure if he was interrupting anyone. The brightness of the sun and sounds of the sea were swamping his sight and hearing.

“Look, he's right about to go into heat!” Reyn shouted behind him. “Didn't you idiots hear what Melia ordered?”

“Then we'll carry him to the quarters,” one of them said while three stepped forward.

A frigid chill blasted the back of his neck. “Back off!” Dunban snapped with such sudden ferocity fear sharply struck his senses.

He blearily looked up at him and saw his face turning from a snarl into a scowl. He looked then to the soldiers who were a few steps away from him.

“We are only trying to make this as easy as possible,” the one at the front said.

“Then do as your lady said and take us to the private quarters,” the alpha demanded calmly, and Shulk could feel anger hot in him through his clothing.

They circled the group and guided them through the transporter, all of them moving to flank Shulk's side before the leader ordered them to individual positions.

Alcamoth was just as monolithic on the inside as it appeared at the beach that morning. There were machines that moved with a smoothness he had only dreamed of designing. He moved his face up Dunban's neck to follow one as it landed in the distance and heard his alpha's breath falter as he did so. Lesson learnt, he resolved to restrict his movement.

There were a few citizens nearby staring at him, there was finger pointing in his direction and some were cupping their hands around their mouths to whisper. Shulk wished the floor would swallow him.

“Where are we heading?” Sharla asked while forcing herself in the space between him and a guard.

The guard huffed as he was bumped back, returning his sword and shield to a more solid stance in front of him. “Beyond there,” he said while dipping his shield to a set of moving roads. Shulk closed his eyes to escape the white around them searing into his eyes.

“How much further beyond?” Reyn asked incredulously.

“Up through a pavilion and then the Great Hall.”

“Great Hall?! Look him, he can't make it that far!”

Shulk had an inkling of what Reyn was preparing to invoke.

“Then again, let us assist by-”

A clang hit his hearing acutely to his left. He dragged his eyelids up and saw Reyn's arm-guard pushing against a white shield.

“Haven't you listened?” he snarled. Shulk could feel the ether release coming off him like steam.

“Reyn, calm down,” Sharla ordered sternly.

Reyn huffed and shoved the guard back.

A hand stroked slowly from the top of his head down his neck. “Can you make it?”

“I'm going to have to,” he muttered.

They walked, and then stood for several minutes while he had to fight his body not to topple back as the moving road took them up. He leaned on Dunban with almost his complete weight until the alpha shifted his arm from above his shoulders to under them. He felt someone soft take his left arm and sling it over their shoulders. He turned and saw Sharla looking resolutely ahead as she corrected his positioning, hair tickling his arm.

“Water gem?” he begged.

She turned to him, eyebrows pulled together. “I'm sorry, Shulk, that wouldn't do anything for you right now.”

Defeated, he prepared to walk again.

They walked and just seemed to keep walking. He was sweating and the lights were blaring into his skull, the chatter around them was piercing his ears and he could feel all this alien ether coming from the High Entia wafting around them, many of them approaching or walking alongside the group with keen interest. The fire was gleefully burning in his pelvis and he had no doubt he was in heat now.

Finally, after his legs were almost useless and his arms were numb from being raised for so long someone nearby announced that they were at their destination and he ascended into what he expected to he their room for the next week. He felt Dunban stop, then lower them to the ground until Shulk was in his lap.

The floor underneath them was cold and hard. “Why aren't...” Why weren't they in a bed?

“I'm not sure what's going on, but we'll get it sorted out,” he muttered, frustration clear, ether hot.

He opened his eyes and saw the city in front him and the twilight sky all around them. They were in some kind of glass room. If he could see outside, then others could see inside.

Panic flared through his blood and granted him a boost of strength, he twisted his head around and saw the room they were in was all glass and the only furniture around was a long table and chairs. He looked around in disbelief that there was nothing else.

He was beginning to regret coming here immediately. He trusted Melia, but right then was wishing he'd toughed it out with the Hilns and Cruz Pagels for a week instead of this humiliation.

Dunban was doing an amazing job of reining his instincts and was squeezing him where his hand held him. Shulk suspected the reason he was being held so close was to remind himself now would be a bad time to lose control. Besides, Shulk deduced wearily, if the stream of hot ether flowing from another corner of the room was any indication, there was another alpha who was pushing for that himself.

“What are you birdbrains playing at?” Reyn shouted. “You can't just leave us all here, especially Shulk and Dunban!” There was a humid air coming from him.

“You will stay here until we receive orders otherwise.”

Shulk wearily looked to the guards, sweat now forming on his forehead and clinging to his bangs. They were looking down at him, even through the masks Shulk recognised entrancement.

“You're...” one said while his chest was moving rapidly. “You're clearly not fit to move.”

“We'll need to stay here and keep you under observation,” another justified.

Dunban tilted back until Shulk's head rolled under his chin. He groaned low and gripped the front of his shirt for dear life. He just wanted his alpha alone in a room right now. His body tried to drum up pleasure between his legs, it for naught though because the circumstance they were in prevented it from building and it was just a low reminder of how inappropriate this situation was. This was a bad way to start a heat and he was sure this would affect him for the rest of the week. He didn't have the lucidity he usually had on his first day due to the amount of energy he'd already used.

Off to the side, the ether flow was drawing back into it's source and swelling. It was like a ether barrel waiting for a spark.

The spark was one of the soldiers stepping in Shulk's direction. A burst of scalding ether flew threw the air as Reyn stomped forward and snatch the collar of the one that had tried to approach him. Riki waddled over in front of Shulk and stood in front of him, wing reached around in preparation to take out his biter.

“What's wrong with you?! Haven't you been paying attention?!” he shouted at the mask man.

An alpha in a rut was evidentially more enthralling than an omega in heat because they all snapped to attention at Reyn and raised their swords again. The High Entia he had the collar of pushed his hands away and stumbled back while raising his shield.

There were a few moments of silence when one of them turned to the furthest at the back and ordered, “Go tell Prince Kallian what's happening.”

He backed away from the room before disappearing through the door.

Reyn continued shouting at them before Sharla was able to coax him away. He resorted to pacing a length of the room, the force from him increasing in intensity when he'd get closer. Riki settled off to Shulk's side and was occasionally touching him gently with his wings, comforting things like brushing his hair and sweat out of his eyes and holding his hand. Dunban allowed it and alternated between watching Reyn and murmuring reassurances into Shulk's hair.

Finally, when the sky was almost completely dark, the guard returned and announced Dunban and Shulk were to follow him to a private quarters.

Shulk had no energy left and there were several failed attempts and standing before he was able to make himself move. His body shook as he willed himself to his legs and he had to be half dragged by Dunban.

He was vaguely aware of his surroundings as they moved. There was solid white around him and the space was larger, then it was darker again as they were lead through corridor. Eventually they stepped into another room and a door closed behind them. Dunban pulled him forward and lowered him on a bed. He may as well have been dropped onto a cloud for how contrasting it was to the stone around him.

Relief weakening him, tears began to slip from his eyes. The degrading experience of the previous however many hours, the unknown dozens of High Entia that saw him in heat and expressed the same interest as the guards had, it was all too much and he had no idea how he was going to get through the rest of the week. His body was muddled with warmth in every limb and he could barely form a coherent thought, all he could manage was to cover his face with his hands and weep.

“Shulk,” Dunban called softly in front of him. “It's alright, we're alone now. Sharla said she'll make sure they don't come into the room when they deliver food and water.”

He nodded, throat thick and tight.

“Shulk, what can I do? As your alpha, what can I do?”

He didn't know. His core was calling for pleasure but he couldn't bear the thought of having sex right now. This wasn't how it was ever supposed to be.

“I don't know.” He took a shaky breath, not removing his hands. “Just hold me.”

Dunban moved onto the bed behind him and held him close, saying nothing. Shulk held his arms in place over his chest, face burning where the tears were falling.

-

It took two days for his body to regulate into a standard heat and them to go about it as they were meant to. Up till then they had intermittent joinings that weren't anywhere near as frequent as it had been previously and it took far longer for his desire to dredge up. Dunban stepped up and took care of him far more than he had the prior heats, blatantly using his alpha ether to command Shulk to eat and wash, dictate when they would join and reminding him to drink that foul pregnancy preventative. Despite the man's reservations about sex he looked far more uneasy at how things were those first couple of days.

The quarters they had been given were simple and spacious and had a large bathroom attached to the side. There was also a balcony that gave them a magnificent view of the city and as soon as Shulk was coherent enough to realise it was there he'd asked Dunban to draw the curtains for it. The room was too empty to feel comfortable to settle in, but it was secure and true to Sharla's word the High Entia didn't even knock when bringing food, a light would flicker on by the door instead and Dunban would pick it up from a table outside.

They both knew they'd gotten past the bad stage one evening when they were both relaxing in the massive circular bath, Shulk was sitting across from Dunban, head tilted back, eyes closed and accepting the warmth of the water was probably the most pleasurable thing about this heat.

He wasn't over being seen by what could've been every High Entia in Alcamoth for all he knew, but he could accept what happened. He knew he could get past it, and the anxiety that came when he had been reliving it no longer haunted him.

He felt at peace, so did Dunban. The air filled with their ether and he knew would move throughout their chambers.

“I'm good now.” He would be in due time.

Dunban was quiet, presumably still looking at him with his cheek resting on his hand.

He allowed himself a deep breath.

The rest of the heat was still a bit unusual. Shulk didn't really get the he nirvana he'd come to expect when they were locked together. It was still bliss, but he was aware they were lying in a room, in a colony, surrounded by a race they'd never properly met.

They continued to be undisturbed, which was important, except for one instance. Dunban had opened the door fast enough that the food deliverer was still near the doorway. After he'd taken the meals and turned around Dunban had broken into a mischievous smirk Shulk had mirrored. He could only imagine what they must have thought of the shirtless Homs, sweaty, reeking of sex, hair bedraggled, what a sight he was to behold. Serves them right for not listening to them and not making suitable preparations.

During those days Shulk was truly glad he was paired with Dunban. He didn't know another alpha that would go out of their way to follow him and take care of him during his heat like this. He knew Dunban hadn't followed Reyn and Shulk on their journey just because he was coming after his omega, but Shulk would be lying if he hadn't indulged the idea. He didn't like that he had a fantasy like that about Fiora's brother of all alphas, though if there was any time to engage those thoughts it was during a heat. It was just a fun little thought, he reasoned he was allowed to have those.

Towards the end of the week together, when they were still freshly joined, Dunban collapsed on him, and while he was looking up at the ceiling while fiddling with strands of his alpha's hair, he asked, “Can I ask about other omegas you've been with?”

At that request Dunban raised his head up and looked down unimpressed at him. Still panting, he asked, “Now?”

“I know its a bit of a weird time for me to ask, what with you being inside me and everything. But I was remembering what Kantz said back at the colony, about how you'd never been with an omega more than once. I don't really want to know about them, I just want to know why you haven't ever had a regular side.” That was a bit of a lie, he felt instinctual jealously thinking about the other omegas.

Breathing evening out, Dunban thought about it for a moment, eyes roaming off to the side as he considered his answer. He closed his eyes like he was recalling a bad memory.

“Dunban?”

He gripped Shulk's shoulder and rolled them onto their sides, causing him to moan at the manoeuvre.

Dunban allowed him a moment to compose himself before continuing. “I think I mentioned before I've only ever really joined for the sake of getting out of a rut.”

“Until now,” Shulk commented in between whimpers.

“Until now,” Dunban echoed.

That movement had made Shulk more attentive to the pulsing knot in him, but he'd started this and wanted to know more so he settled into the pillow.

“It's a bit scary seeing an alpha in a rut, isn't it?” he asked quietly.

He didn't respond.

“Paired omegas need to get their alpha out of one. But in my case, most of the omegas I were with I would only meet once.” He was staring at Shulk as his eyes began to glaze over.

Shulk placed his hand in the centre of his sweaty chest and began absent-mindedly caressing it, moving his finger pads down then his knuckles up.

“A lot of them died.” He paused, mind definitely somewhere else, face turning away.

He let him stay silent for a few moments, then put his curled index finger under his jaw and encouraged his gaze back, tried to bring him back from the bloodshed.

Dunban closed his eyes, head dropping further into pillow. When his eyelids eventually slid up he looked calmer. Shulk alternated between stroking his bristled jaw and cheek with the back of his fingers.

“I had so many ruts during the war. So many. During breaks between battles it was hard for me to come down from them. Sometimes after a bad one an omega would offer sex just to get me out of it.” He sighed. “I learned...for me at least, the best way to get out of a rut was to fight with an omega before sleeping together.”

Shulk frowned.

“I mean as in go and attack something with an omega, not try and attack them,” he reassured softly. “I didn't see many of them afterwards, because-” he shrugged, looking unsure, “-they were just trying to get a quick lay with the hero of the Homs. But I'd drag them off to more fighting, then the ones that actually stuck around after had to deal with-” he stopped himself again but didn't continue that sentence. “I was a bit rougher than I should've been.”

“I've been told it's always like that with an alpha in a rut.” According to the older omegas at least.

His advice didn't remove the shame from Dunban's face though. “They were after comfort. Not more violence. The only omegas I could've sided with were other soldiers and they didn't deserve having deal with someone who was just as likely to get them torn to shreds and then get kicked to the side when I was done with them.”

Shulk baulked at the self-deprecation. “Dunban, I know you. You would never do something like that.”

“It wasn't intentional, but I heard one of them use those exact words sometime after we'd joined. It put things into perspective.”

“But you always say it's supposed to be formal.”

“It is. But when there's war, you turn to whoever's closest for comfort. Its never been anything more than a biological function for me. For those omegas, even as a one-off, it couldn't have felt nice for more just to treat them as less than a warm hole.”

He thought over the words. If these were random omegas, Dunban would've felt no obligation to do anything with them outside of sex. He and Shulk talked during these joinings because they'd known each other forever. They liked one another and wanted this to be good because even if it wasn't romantic, they still cared about one another.

When hormones got the better of him and work was slow, he used to imagine how his first time would've been with Fiora. He had wanted it to be special, was thinking of things like candles, wine, maybe somewhere on Agora Shore. He'd wanted that for them. He'd wanted to put in that effort.

He didn't want to go that far with Dunban, yet it still wanted to make some effort, he hated the thought of them getting through his heats in silence, wiping themselves off and going about it like nothing had happened.

“The only time I've actually craved sex was when we got to his city,” he stated, interrupting Shulk's thoughts.

“Because I was in heat?”

“No, because all these High Entia wouldn't stop trying to touch you and my instincts were telling me to... Well...” He looked away. “Make a claim.” At that he leaned forward and bumped his nose with Shulk's.

Shulk quietly laughed through his smile. “I can't ever imagine having complete control over my instincts.”

“After all these years of feeling nothing only to be undone by biology once again.” Dunban seemed to find the humour in it and his tone was light.

There was silence between them for a long time. Long enough that Dunban may not be able to follow what the question he finally found himself asking.

“You never thought about getting a side after you'd returned?” Shulk questioned.

“I did. That's why we're here now.” Dunban remarked while glancing down.

Time to bite the bullet. “You didn't think I'd fall in love with an alpha and want to wait?”

Dunban smiled at him. “Did you think that would happen?”

No, he absolutely did not. He was starting to suspect a lot of people knew that.

-

As if to prove one of Dunban's points, there was a small incident the day after his heat ended.

Shulk had still been giving off heat ether, though at a much smaller release that would fade completely by the end of the day. He had donned his Makna gear again because regardless of how torn and dirty it was he didn't have another option. As they were just stepping out of the doorway of the chambers, an unmasked guard had walked up and presented them with two large boxes they were told had Eryth clothing their friends had bought them.

The guard had placed the boxes in Shulk's arms all the while looking fixated at him. “It is appealing,” he said, which caused Shulk to look up. “I heard the ether you were releasing was something else but-” Then without any social regard had raised his hand and placed it on Shulk's cheek.

Shulk didn't hear the rest because he was too focused on the other hand that was moving to touch his bared chest. He flared with indignation and moved to slap it away before an honest-to-God snarl sounded behind him. Dunban dove forward and shoved the guard so hard he stumbled back and fell before snatching Shulk's wrist and pulling him back into the room. The door slammed behind them and Dunban immediately grabbed him and scratched down the back of his neck before pulling away.

Shulk sighed, not knowing what to do. He had waited for Dunban to come back to himself, but he didn't and was standing rigid, clenching and unclenching his hands. He began pacing the room and over ten minutes later was continuing to do so.

“Shulk, this isn't in anyway fair for me to ask, and absolutely feel free to say no.” Dunban looked lost as said it, not staring at Shulk but instead around the room. “Do you remember how I was talking about instincts telling me to make a claim?”

His stomach flipped over. “Yes.”

Dunban did look at him then. “Would you be alright with us doing so now?”

He had asked without hesitating so Shulk knew he must've really not been in control. This would mean they were on new terms when it came to sex, and he tried to ignore the delight he was feeling. Regardless of conversation they should have had about, or have, about this, he agreed because his alpha needed it and he could feel a storm brewing on his neck.

Dunban fluidly guided him onto his stomach on the bed and mounted him from behind, clothes still half hanging off them as they did so. Without heat making everything sensitive it had been different to say the very least. Slick hadn't come as easy and he found himself groping at his own chest and groin to invoke pleasure. He hadn't given much attention to Dunban's course movements during heats but they were more noticeable now.

He found his own way though and they locked together, Dunban on his knees behind him holding Shulk's canted hips. Only then did he appear to be embarrassed by his behaviour.

“Biology strikes again, huh?” Shulk teased while looking over his shoulder.

“Shut up,” was the response he got back with an equally teasing press of his hips.

As soon as their bodies had allowed it they'd immediately taken off their remaining clothes and went to shower again. Dunban had been sighing all the while, even though Shulk reassured him it was alright and he understood it was his instincts it hadn't cheered him up.

At least it got the possessiveness out of his system and he didn't seem to bothered by the occasional stares Shulk was receiving as they trekked through the city. It was worth it because it brought his friend some peace of mind, Shulk decided, even if he wasn't certain what this emotionally meant for their pairing now that sex outside of a heat was on the table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “No, I'm still a male first, but omega second*.” I must have re-wrote this sentence a dozen times before I settled on this. Even still I'm not happy with how I had to word this because it sounds vaguely transphobic to me, like because Shulk was raised as a boy that's why he'll always be considered a boy. I tried to add in a few sentences afterwards where Shulk mentions transgender colony members but I couldn't word it adequately and it just sounded really awkward. I apologise if this offended anyone, I tried to write this from perspective that Shulk was only trying to explain his situation and not gender attitudes in general.
> 
> God, that heat scene in Alcamoth was so dialogue heavy. I thought about trimming it down but the same day I wrote it I got through the Zanza reveal cutscene in DE and figured as Xenoblade fans we were used to it.


	5. Alcamoth to Valak Mountain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I'd edit the summary because goodness, my writing has improved so much since I wrote this fic. It seems every month I'd look back at the last thing I wrote and see so many ways I can improve things. Because of this, I'm not making revisions to the fic anymore (to be honest I haven't done that since I posted the first chapter) and instead focusing mostly on spellchecks.

Shulk resolved to make another attempt at speaking with Dunban about Fiora. His first try had been disastrous, both too raw and it had amplified through their ether bond. Shulk had found himself gripping his hair and doubled over _“How? How? How?” w_ hile Dunban had braced himself against the wall of their common area, head hung down and not facing him. His shoulders had been shaking and he'd left the room before it could escalate any more.

Just over a week had passed since his heart had been ripped apart again, since they'd seen Fiora in the Mechon and she'd just looked right through them, no recognition at all. They'd barely seen Dunban since then and hadn't spoken at all when they had.

Shulk wandered through the sombre hall, citizens subdued and muted, so different to how Sharla had described they were when they had explored the city over the last week. She said after they'd helped the guards many High Entia had openly approached them, curious about the Homs in the city and requesting assistance with matters it would take too long to get sorted officially. Now they were standing huddled against walls, no conversation between any of them, paying no attention to the Homs in their city.

As he was stepping over the hall's threshold he felt a slow fall of soft ether on his neck. It gained in intensity as he walked down the steps, he felt it blow to him from the terrace. He saw Dunban in the distance staring at the screens scrolling symbols of the High Entia language, standing relaxed as though he was enjoying the sun around them.

He steadied himself as he continued in his direction. He hesitated as he approached, then stepped next to him.

“I've been looking for you.” It wasn't much of a start.

Dunban turned to him, expression cool. “I know. I felt it.” He looked away again, Shulk glimpsing his a downturn of his lips when it happened. “Apologies. Was everyone worried?”

“Of course. Me especially.”

“Hm? Because I'm your alpha?”

He shook his head lightly. “Not just that. You know you're more than just a side to me, Dunban. You're an old friend. I was worried.”

“Shulk...” Dunban started. “I needed to think things over myself.”

He was Fiora's brother, he had his own grief he was going through. Probably going through the strange feeling of a reverse grieving process as well.

He brought his attention back to Fiora, that she may as well have been been staring at the scenery when she looked at them. “It's just...”

Voicing his theory didn't help things. It made him feel worse if anything, that it could be a reality that she'd forgotten them and he had no idea how to fix that.

“I need to tell you something.” Shulk was prepared to hear a plan going forward, or maybe an unknown detail about the Mechon, not, “I always thought, if Fiora were to be with anyone, it should be with you.”

Filled to the brim with sudden vulnerability, he flinched.“What? But Reyn hangs out with her just as much as me.”

“Yeah, she does.” Dunban had that expression on his face, the one that older adults had when they were amused by someone of his age's inexperience. “But Fiora doesn't like him in that way.”

“Oh, I see.” Out in the open, there wasn't much else he could say.

“I must admit, that's why I asked if you'd be okay with us pairing. I thought it would make most sense all things considered.”

The hypothesis... So Dunban had considered it as well.

-

They arrived dressed from top to bottom in Eryth gear, carrying bags upon bags of supplies. Valak Mountain was so beautiful. He'd been awed by the sheer size of landscape and the peaks and valleys he could see in the distance, then night had come.

“Even Satorl Marsh has nothing on this,” Sharla had commented. No one had disagreed.

He had seen so many beautiful sights since leaving Colony 9, but he knew as soon as the first beams appeared from the crystal-like ice this place would be his favourite.

Beauty did nothing to ease the gruelling trek. They were constantly harassed by Chilkins and Antols, had numerous close calls with Lexos, sometimes a Nebula would stray too close to a fight they were in and would get hit so they'd have to deal with them as well. It was incredibly slow going to Ose Tower, and after day three they got the hang of only travelling during the day. As soon as the sun slipped down it became viscously cold and they had to spend a solid hour compacting snow around them to keep the wind out before they could rest for the night. Reyn openly apologised for ridiculing how much wood they'd been given before travelling and they all agreed they wouldn't have survived far without it. They slept against each other to preserve warmth with blankets tightened around them.

 _Huddled like a pile of washing dumped on the floor_ , Shulk thought often morosely.

So not to make things weird, Sharla had insisted, they traded spots each night. The only consistency was Alvis always finding his way to sleeping against Shulk side and only his side _“to keep the Heir to the Monado safe”_. He said he didn't mind always being one of the people usually on the side of the pile, and when he smiled at Shulk with so much warmth he believed him. Dunban had given him a hard look when he'd said that and walked with a tightened jaw for the next few hours, but noticeably mellowed out by evening. Likely the instincts once again. Shulk kept it to himself he was just a little amused by the display.

He was really feeling the exhaustion when they concluded their first week on the arm and only just reached Ose Tower, not even able to enter it. They stayed the night outside it regardless because it was well sheltered and resolved to retrieve Magma Rock in one go the following day. They were all getting worn down by the gradual progress they were making, limbs sore and having very little opportunity to recuperate, yet they did it and the following night got to spend a few glorious hours in the tower not being battered by the cold. Once two fires were going and heat was trapped around them he may was well have been sleeping on a bench in the sun at Outlook Park.

He felt unease inside the tower, enough so that Melia picked up on it. He told her the truth; he was absolutely beat, but there was something else to this place. Even Riki was quieter for most of the night, sitting to himself and nodding in response to nothing, a few times staring at Shulk with tenderness then going back into his zone.

He talked long with Alvis before the seer went to sleep. Tired enough that his guard was down, he talked openly about the Monado and his abilities, slipped up and called Dickson his dad which he hadn't done for years, not that Alvis knew the difference anyway. It was still a huge mystery, every time he thought he was making some kind of progress in understanding what the Monado's purpose in the universe was something else would come along and he'd rediscover how little he actually knew.

When he crouched down by the closest fire his neck began to chill, he chose to ignore it and began setting up his roll for the night. It eventually went away as he tucked himself in, dimly aware by then he was giving off a faint ether release.

He closed his eyes for a bit and then stared the wall in front of him. He was thinking about his parents, wondering if he was lying in the spot where his mother or father had collapsed and died. About what on the Bionis could've killed them. Dickson said the closest conclusion they'd come to was exposure, but they had no idea how his tiny body survived when everyone else's hadn't.

He turned over and looked at Alvis, who was laying on his own mat to his left, smiling while asleep.

Shulk touched the floor next to him, feeling the cool stone beneath his fingers. It was smoother than anything a Homs could make, structurally pleasing to the eye. He wondered what made it glitter from a distance.

He withdrew his hand and held it close to chest to bring warmth back into it. Still couldn't sleep.

He heard rustling behind him as a blanket slid down off a body and was placed back onto it's mat. He felt bad as he was disturbing Dunban, apparently preventing the man from sleeping. He rolled over as he approached, the other man crouching down next to him.

“You alright?” he whispered down.

“Not sure,” Shulk whispered back. “Am I disturbing you?”

“A little, you're telling me to comfort you.”

“I am?” It took him a moment to understand he was talking about his ether. “You can read my ether release?”

“Sure can, have been since Alcamoth. Looks like another heat has made everything a bit clearer for me.”

“That's not fair, I'm only getting sensations from you,” he groused and sat up, shuffling aside on his roll. Really it wasn't, aside from ether merging he still couldn't read Dunban's moods or anything clear. Certainly couldn't tell if he wanted anything from him.

Dunban quietly laughed while making himself comfortable on the mat. “I think its an age thing. I'm just a bit more experienced with reading ether in general.”

They talked a little about ether recognition, Shulk listening as Dunban explained getting older naturally lead to understanding ether a little better, apparently it was something that was learned with maturity. Something he could look forward to, he supposed.

He could tell something was off with Dunban and had been since they'd seen Fiora. The older man had every right to be upset yet wasn't expressing it openly. It was likely the big brother side stopping him from showing it to the younger group, something Shulk didn't think was healthy. A selfish part of him felt he should be more open with him because they were paired, despite that they were only sides he felt he was entitled to see his grief.

He didn't know what an upset Dunban looked or acted like. His usual emotion when he was upset was some degree of anger. Perhaps he just didn't open up enough to him to even know any difference.

Their conversation dulled and the fire crackled in front of them to fill the silence. Shulk was still tired and politely turned down Dunban's offer to caress his neck. He didn't feel the urge for comfort like he had previously, he was just enjoying the companionship.

The High Entia had been confused when Shulk and Dunban had requested two separate rooms after his heat was over. Admittedly, in the turmoil that happened immediately after his heat they had let them remain in the dark about why they were so indifferent to each other after being so affectionate. Sharla eventually took mercy on a group of guards and gave them a lecture about biology and social guidelines. Shulk had been listening in while leaning against the window of the shared guest room, staring across the city.

He allowed himself a long sigh. He was still embarrassed about being so forward with Dunban during his pre-heat, particularly regarding caressing his arm at Latael Shore the morning it began. If it was any consolidation, Dunban was just as bad, if not surprisingly worse, at reigning in his instincts. Though considering his recently learned knowledge of Dunban's lack of experience with omegas it should be expected.

“Something wrong?”

“Aside from the obvious?” Shulk mused. He wondered what his parents faces looked like. “I think I'm missing my parents.”

“Ah.” Dunban nodded to the fire. “Something I can unfortunately relate to.”

“I'm not sad with how I was raised. Everyone was wonderful and Dickson's been a great dad.” He'd already said it once tonight, may as well throw it out there again. “But just being here is bringing it out in me.”

“I remember before you and Dickson settled in the colony Fiora was always so happy when you travelled our way.” Dunban smiled, probably recalling a memory. “She actually asked our mother if we could adopt you.”

“Really?” That's a thought, being raised by Dunban. His younger self would've loved it, part of him still did. Though it had been awkward enough when they'd first paired, there's no way they could've done so if that had happened.

“Yeah,” Dunban chuckled. “She always got into a mood when you two would leave again. Then Reyn would be unhappy because you'd left and Fiora didn't want to play.” He grinned and shook his head, loose hair falling over his face. “Our mother always had her hands full.”

“I remember being so happy when Dickson told me we'd be living in Colony 9.” He had been six, _“Shulk, I think it's better if we stay somewhere fer your schoolin'”_ not that he knew what life was like staying in one place. When Dickson had walked him through the house he was told they'd be living in he'd run from room to room, asking over and over again if they could really live somewhere so large. Dickson had laughed, lit up a cigar, and patted his head when Shulk had hugged him.

Occasionally he'd be left in someone else's hands when he had to travel for work, though when things were reaching a peak with the Mechon Dickson joined the defence force full time and stayed in the barracks, leaving him mostly alone. A few years later when Shulk was sixteen he'd been asked to come out of school and join the research division, the same time Reyn had quietly been asked to join as well and he'd moved to the barracks leaving the house behind for good. It had been nice while it lasted, but he'd been so busy since he became part of the defence force he doubted he would've spent much time there anyway.

“Despite the circumstances, I'm glad we all got to live as we did.” Dunban remarked.

“We lots of good times, didn't we?” He yawned. “Thanks for chatting with me. Sorry again for keeping you up.”

“It's okay. Have a good night sleep.” Before he stood he reached up and scratched the back of Shulk's neck, movement sluggish.


	6. Valak Mountain to Galahad Fortress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I added chapter names. Mostly just to tell where each chapter fits in the XB1 story.

“There's a good boy. Always eager to please, Shulk.”

He felt sick with frustration.

Metal Face cackled and the chest gave away to reveal a man Shulk had seen at the colony, this man had been part of the defence force and fought alongside them. His memory wasn't failing him on this.

The burning on his neck faltered. “But you're-” Dunban started behind him.

“How's it going, Dunban?” The man said, appearing absolutely delighted.

It felt like the titan shifted beneath him. “Is that...?” That was Mumkhar. That was Dunban and Dickson's old drinking buddy. He'd seen him laughing with everyone at the base, he'd come around to Dunban's house a few times for meals. This couldn't be happening.

He'd been hollowed out, he'd been turned into one of them. He saw the gaping stomach and chest as he strode forward and plucked the Monado out of the snow.

“Mumkhar!” Dunban snarled.

Shulk readied himself as the towering man walked past him, paying him no heed.

“I thought it might be, but... You're to blame for all this?”

“I can't tell you how badly I've wanted this sword!” Shulk recoiled when he turned to him, concave from the side. “Has this puny omega even figured out how it works yet?”

Mumkhar leaned down to his level. Shulk felt repulsed, he could see the metal soldered into skin and reaching his frenzied eyes. A year ago this had been one of the alphas that he was regularly repairing weapons for. Looking at him now, Shulk couldn't feel any natural ether on him, nothing about the man even looked functional as a Homs.

He gasped as a metal fist shoved roughly under his chin. “What are you willing to do?” The knuckles dug into his jugular as he was lifted, he gripped the wrist as tried to pull his head back but the fingers pushed further in and forced his chin down. His air was being cut off. The burning on his neck was starting up again.

“You dare ask that of us?” The air from Dunban was steaming. “Why did you betray us for Mechonis?” The world lurched as he was thrown back. His back slammed against and the ground and he wheezed as he was winded, knowing he would bruise around the throat. Spluttering and deafened, he tilted his Eryth circlet back in place and started to get up.

The front of his armour was grabbed and he was pulled to his feet. Mumkhar shoved him forward and then wrapped an arm around his chest to his hold his back against his metal front, Monado pointed off to the side. Shulk felt nothing at his back where the stomach should be. This wasn't right, it was so unnatural.

“I can tell what you've been up to.”

Shulk growled up at him while jerking his body to try and get away. His neck was searing now, he could feel the wind crackling from the rest of the group.

“I don't have the parts anymore, but if I could take one more thing from you I would.”

Then metal nails, deep and sharp cut down his neck with such sudden barbarity he cried out and reflexively gripped the arm holding him.

“You piece of-!” Dunban roared and charged forward, ether blazing from him.

Shulk raised his leg to kick behind him when a loud clang boomed in the snowfield. He was twisted around with the body holding him and saw the Mechon snatching up Silver Face and pinning it against a rock side.

“Stay where you are. That thing works by remote.” Mumkhar shoved him forward again and he fell into the snow. He scrambled forward and got to his feet, touching the back of his neck. When he pulled his hand away his fingertips were wet with blood.

He looked across the snowfield at the two Mechon and stopped breathing as the tips of one of his claws precisely moved up Fiora's stomach to her chin.

“So unless you want me to put a hole in her neck.”

Bionis, what was he supposed to do? What could he do?

“So, what's it to be, weaklings? Grovel at my feet and beg?”

He looked back to Dunban. The man's eyes were fierce, teeth bared and hand shaking with anger on the hilt his sword.

“We will not bow to you!”

-

Shulk scooped up snow in his hands, patted it into a firm oval and then placed it over his neck, groaning as the cold bit into the hot pain.

“Shulk, let me look at that.” Sharla rushed over and knelt beside him. She pulled the snow away from his neck and hissed when she saw the injury. “He's scratched you deep, but I'm not detecting any new ether. I don't think he's an alpha anymore.”

It didn't matter, the mockery was still there. Scratching a bonded omega's neck was the worst insult an unpaired alpha could give. He felt ill with it's intent.

Dunban had paused to watch while he was being examined, then kicked snow in front of him and swore afterwards. He was firmly in a rut now, judging from heat coming from his direction it was a bad one.

Sharla pulled out a salve from her bag and placed the jar in his hand. “You won't need stitches. Apply this when the bleeding's completely stopped. Use it twice a day.”

“We should follow them to Sword Valley,” Melia stated while striding over to them, her eyes wet. “We're almost there.”

Shulk stared at Dunban who was looking over the snowfield, eyes trying to target something. He would have adrenaline pumping through him now, ether pouring out and taking back what it can from the environment to fuel the rut. His body was going to suffer if they let this linger.

Sharla had told him a few days ago, when they'd been trudging through the snow down from Ose Tower, back in Alcamoth after Alvis freed them she'd unleashed Reyn on Eryth Sea for a few days to wear his rut out and complete some requests they'd received from it's citizens. Poor Reyn, she'd sympathised somewhat airily, he'd come back only for small rests and meals and after five days became absolutely burnt out. He proceeded to sleep for almost ten hours and even after that he'd apparently been groggy and Sharla had to shoot some ether crystals to help him out.

It was unspoken that they all knew they couldn't afford that kind of delay, Fiora was so close to them. Sword Valley was within a day's walking distance, but there was nothing but empty snow between them and they didn't know how many Mechon there would be to fight after that. Worse, if there were Mechon around but they needed to sneak in it would just agitate Dunban more. There would no doubt be a big fight eventually, but sustaining it for all that time would do god knows what to an alpha of his age's health. Shulk didn't know the the ins and outs of a rut, but knew this was a bad time to deal with one.

“Shulk,” Dunban called from the distance, looking away from the group. “I....” He teeth ground together. He didn't need to say anything further and Shulk knew he would be struggling to word it.

A vision flashed before him.

To Melia, he ordered, “Everyone else keep going to Sword Valley, Dunban and I will meet you there.”

“Shulk...” Sharla's face tightened with apprehension.

“Its okay, I'll be fine. You know we can't go in with him in a rut.” He stood and brushed the snow off his shins. Turning to the source of energy, he asked, “How long would it take you to get out of it if I stayed with you?”

Dunban's movements were noticeably controlled, even as he did something as simple as turn his head to look at him, Shulk could see the fine precision in it. There must months of experience of living with a rut to move like that.

He was scowling. “Fours day without, maybe a day with.” There was a pause, then he tacked on, “Maybe less, never gone through one with a side.”

Made sense, Dunban was thirty, he would no longer have week long ruts like someone of Reyn's age could. Still though, the man was a force to be reckoned with. Shulk knew when they made the decision to pair he may have to do this at some point, and Dunban's statement back in Makna had only reinforced that, so he steeled himself for what was going to come, how he was once again going to see Fiora's brother act in a way he never had before.

“I'll stay behind with you,” he said resolutely while staring directly at him.

Dunban was motionless as he fixed his stare back, only his hair was moving with the gentle wind. Shulk returned the look, feel the burning on his neck calm a little as he did so.

Alvis walked up to him. “Are you sure that's the best course of action?”

He was. He'd seen that Dunban would eventually deplete his energy and get cut down in his next fight with Metal Face if they didn't.

“I am,” he reaffirmed again.

Alvis nodded. “We will wait for you in Sword Valley. Just beyond the entrance is a clearing the Mechon don't bother.”

“Okay.”

That was it then. Alvis' stared at him calmly, yet intensely. Saying nothing further he began towards the maw of Sword Valley. The rest of them hesitated, Reyn looking at him more open concern than the rest, but followed wordlessly. He picked up two bags and a bundle of firewood as they all filed past him. He walked to the alpha, duty clear.

“If we're not back in two days, come looking for us!” Dunban shouted and then swung around to the opposite direction.

Shulk didn't try to catch up and remained a few metres behind him. The snow felt like it should be melting with the heat stifling the air around the alpha, when he stepped closer he felt the energy broiling against his skin and when he slowed the difference in temperature was jarring, it was like a standing next to heath one step and then back to the snowfield the next.

Yet despite the revelations over the last few hours and the warning Dunban was giving off, he felt eager for this, and it was gut-wrenching to try and understand why. He wanted to cuddle with his alpha now of all times. His hands twitched and curled as he got glimpses of his bearded jaw, having been unable to trim it since Ose Tower it had grown thicker and he'd been wanting to push his fingers through it for days. The little urges had given him a reprieve after his heat, but they'd resumed their interference shortly after leaving Alcamoth.

Dunban was leading him in the direction of a deep cave they'd discovered and melted the entrance of with the Magma Rock a day back. There were Krawli Slobos near it, he knew that was his main intention, and it would provide good shelter as it was deep and had a slight twist in it that helped buff the wind deeper in.

Dunban was eerily silent during their small journey, so used to the soldier's boasting and declarations when entering a fight he felt unnerved by it. Even as they approached the two Slobos he had been calm, not breaking his stride, silently and steadily pulling his sword out.

Shulk dropped the bags a distance away and readied the Monado. The Slobos were big and one had noticed them, when it started thundering over the other perked up and followed, huge hands denting the snow. Dunban strafed to the left in preparation to dodge it's fists. They couldn't stand their ground with these enemies and had to be nimble.

The first one arrived and skidded to a stop in front of them, swinging clumsily but with immense force from the left at Dunban. He jumped back and ran around it while taking an opportunistic swipe at it's arm. It grazed lightly and didn't slow at all, instead recovering from it's missed punch and lurching around to try and follow him.

Shulk cast Speed on Dunban and rushed forward, cutting deeply across it's calf. It howled but kept it's attention forward, stamping back, causing the ground near him to shake and forcing Shulk to back away or get his foot crushed. He brought the blade across it's heel and dashed out to face the second one that had reached the fight.

This one came out with a punch as well and he chose to duck under it as it came close, lunging forward and stabbing the side of the shin deeply. He dragged the blade out by the side causing blood and muscle to split from skin. It roared as it pushed it's hands down to to it's feet, Shulk feeling the heat of it at his back as he ran through it's legs to escape.

He looked over to his left and saw Dunban twisting his sword deep in the other Slobos' calf, pulling out the blade and sinking it back in again far enough to exit the skin on the other side. Safety confirmed, he focused back on the one that was ready to attack him again.

Throwing it's left arm on the ground for grip it punched out with it's other fist making him jump back. It surged forward, pushing down on the snow for added momentum and knocked him down, Monado taking the brunt of the force for him. On his back, he watched as it raised both fists. He summoned Armour, yellow encircling him in time for it's great hands to slam down and bounce off the barrier. It stumbled from the recoil and he got to his feet and gathered himself.

It paused, crystals on it's back starting to spark. A vision flashed and he saw it would pierce his chest directly. When all the crystals alighted he jumped right as the beam shot out and swept into the snow behind him, the sound ringing from above. He rolled down the snow to avoid it hitting him again and as he twisted up slashed up it's inner leg.

The creature was hunched over him. He brought his elbow down and aligned the Monado directly upwards, thrusting it straight into it's shoulder. He had been aiming for it's chest, but the injury sent it moaning away and he quickly dislodged the sword, raising it again and stabbing beneath the collarbone. It's front began to tumble forward leaving him no choice but to roll forward or be crushed. Heart hammering, he looked back and saw it struggling to move it's upper half.

“Shulk!”

He pulled his gaze up and saw Dunban looking at him, grimace on his face. The Slobos before him was toppled on it's back but still writhing.

Shulk stumbled to his feet and ran over, cold air stinging his lungs. When he reached it he jumped and drove the Monado down into its biceps, causing it to pause and try to look at him. Dunban ran onto it's stomach and knelt down, sinking his sword deep into the centre of it's chest. It gurgled and huffed, almost knocking Shulk away but he kept the pressure on it's arm, saw Dunban pull his sword back and slash roughly across its throat. It shook, slightly raised it's arms and then went limp.

Panting, Shulk stepped back to pull the Monado out and spun to see the second Slobos crystals sparkling again. He ducked as it shot overheard, hearing Dunban grunting as he landed somewhere in the snow nearby. Judging from the ringing of it searing into the snow he hadn't been hit. He summoned Shield in time for it to cut across his front, the creature stilling in confusion and shaking its back as the attack was disregard by the Art.

Dunban swept out from his right, sword held outwards, hair flowing behind him and curled around his Eryth circlet. His expression was focused and his thin lips were parted allowing small puffs of air to come out.

Shulk put his mind back in the fight and followed after him. He would force it into a position to give Dunban the killing blow. Blood was dripping from it's earlier wounds and steam rose from the snow where it fell, it was still weak around the shoulders but moving like it barely felt it.

Dunban ran behind it and before the monster could follow him he saw the blade emerge from it's front thigh, having been stabbed from behind. Shulk pushed himself forward and shoved the tip of the Monado through its opposite knee. It shrieked and he saw Dunban shoved it roughly with his shoulder, causing it to topple forward.

Shulk wasn't fast enough and got tapped in the right forearm by it's fist as it fell. He groaned and gripped it, knowing it was going to bruise badly later.

Dunban leaped over its arm on the other side and shoved his blade through its neck, wringing it up and down and then pulling it out with noticeable strain. It tried to gasp, instead spluttering and losing any remaining strength, twitching on the snow.

Shulk allowed himself a minute to catch his breath, feeling depleted, unsure what Dunban would want to do now. He was too nervous to look at him even though he could see the man staring at him in the corner of his eye. He didn't think he had the strength to that again, nor did he want to.

Instead he moved himself upright, gasping for breath, and walked away from the bodies and towards the bags he dropped. He heard Dunban follow him and swiping in the air, probably trying to get the blood off his blade.

His adrenaline was wearing off by the time he reached the packs, though he was still panting badly. Dunban said nothing as he came behind him to grab the larger of the bags. Shulk returned the silence when he shouldered the bundle of firewood and settled the other bag on his back. There were a few moments where they stood amongst all the white, not doing anything, then the alpha turned and started back up the snowy hill to the cave. It was still smouldering around him, but some of the tension had left the air.

When they arrived they deposited the packs at the back near the ice wall. Shulk pulled out a tool they have been given to help gather and compact ice and got started on building up a wall. He was wiped, but this had to be done now or he'd regret it soon. The cave roof was too high to create a full barrier, but he endeavoured to build it to chest height. He stuck ice gems in certain places to help keep it together, having learned they work best to keep the wall up.

He was sweating by the time he was done and without anyone else's help it took twice as long, but there was less space to cover due to closed walls. The alpha was stirring soup over a fire when he returned and threw the tool down with the bags. Still not up for speaking and trying to catch his breath, he sat heavily next to Dunban and leaned his head on his shoulder, instincts or not be damned. He responded by tilting his head down and rubbing his forehead and nose against Shulk's own. Shulk preened at the attention, very much enjoying the affection outside of a heat.

After they ate, still through silence, sun having slipped down they took off the metal of their armour and curled up together in front of the fire, Dunban's body encasing around his own. He was leaning his cheek on the back of Shulk's head.

Shulk wasn't sure how this was going to work. He'd always relied on a heat to bring out most the pleasure, yet he recalled the possessive incident in Alcamoth and wondered if the alpha could approach things a bit differently. He felt hardness pressing behind him but the older man seemed equally unsure. He wanted this, he was ready to admit he enjoyed sex and wanted to get something out of this as well, he just didn't what he liked or how to optimise it. He didn't exactly think it was appropriate to pack an ether lamp on this journey so it would have to brought out another way.

In the end Dunban initiated by abruptly reaching down for his belt.

Automatically, he blurted out, “No.”

Dunban, bless him, immediately retracted his hand and began to pull himself away completely.

“Touch me first. Like you do beforehand, but...more.” His cheeks were hot and not from the alpha's ether or the fire.

Pulling away slightly so he was looking down at the omega, likely to see his expression so he could gauge his response, Dunban instead stroked down the side of his face with his knuckles, touch light and smooth, hand hot. There was nothing further for a moment, then Shulk helped him out and gently took his hand and guided it to stomach. Dunban's large hand stroked once over the fabric, then moved down and slipped under the hem.

Sparks similar to the sensations on he'd felt before on his neck followed in it's wake as his hand slowly moved from navel to chest. He placed his hand softly on the fabric where the hand was hidden and joined it in it's movements. Dunban's breath was on his shoulder, lips brushing his clothed skin and that felt amazing too.

“Yes, slow, like this please. Let's start like this,” he reassured.

Slower, much slower than their heats he made the alpha caress him. Their actions previously felt rushed compared to this. He responded in kind, tracing the body he had access to and gripping that beard like he'd been craving, kissing the side of his bearded jaw, avoiding his lips to not overstep.

At one point Dunban had huffed in impatience, gripping his hip, ether around them flaring in temperature, but Shulk was having none of it and roughly tugged his hair. The alpha turned at him in shock, startled out of his attitude, and loosened his fingers. There was a red mark when his hand pulled away.

“Don't be rough,” Shulk ordered gently, no bite behind his words.

Clothes placed where they couldn't be dirtied, they'd laid down spooning covered in blankets before the fire.

Only when he was lost in the brushes of skin and forgotten the world around him had he taken Dunban's wrist and guided his hand between his legs, encouraging his fingers to go further. The kisses along his neck on his recent wounds had gotten him closer to the edge just as much as his calloused fingers had. Then so softly, with barely any pressure, his alpha had bitten the back of his neck in between the deep scratches, it was so intimate, and the pleasure that jolted through him was so all consuming it was almost painful in its suddenness.

Sweating, muscles loose, he'd rolled over and returned the affection. He kissed faded white scars and old wounds, moved his hands lightly over muscles he knew would be aching from the journey so far. Dunban had been so responsive, gasping and whimpering back when he was taken in hand, so inexperienced to all this it made Shulk's heart hurt.

The alpha's ether was still burning hot in the air around them, fanning and flaring, releasing a turbulent energy that brushed on Shulk's neck and blew around the cave with the wind. Even without reading ether, Shulk felt the barely restrained ferocity in the movements.

At one point he had to dig his nails into the alpha's skin when he reached forward and tried to yank him forcefully by the shoulder. Dunban then paused for a few seconds, closed his eyes and breathed heavily. When opened them he looked calmer, the air had settled once again.

He directed him to hold him close when the alpha eventually moved on top of him, then gripped his waist and helped guide his hips. He stopped the alpha shortly after starting, guiding Dunban into actions that were steadier, together learning movements that rolled instead of stabbed. He hadn't stopped the soft touches, stroking up his spine and ruined arm, breathing into his alpha's neck.

When they began to lock together Dunban moved his hand from his shoulder and gripped Shulk's hair tightly with his broad hand. He hissed, feeling the strands pulling painfully at his scalp and sharply slapped the wrist next to his face. The man on him didn't respond, teeth ground and not looking above him at the cavern wall. Shulk felt the sweaty skin of his chest pressing down onto his own with each heavy breath he was taking. He could tell he was lost in something, whether it be their bodies or his own mind, he frantically tried to think of how to get him out of it.

With rising fear at the edge of his pleasure, Shulk turned and bit down hard on forearm next to his cheek. Dunban recoiled his hand immediately, looking down startled, then with tenderness in his movements and an apology in his eyes stroked his hand through his hair where he had tugged it.

They waited out the joining with silence, Dunban nuzzling the side of his neck and face, likely falling into the sensations. Shulk simply let himself go along with the other man's movements, lost in it himself, feeling the throb of their bodies together. When they slipped apart, the alpha gasped and let his full weight collapse on top of him, whimpering softly. His body and ether were still hot. He spent minutes twisting Shulk's hair with his fingers, almost impatiently.

When the cavern became quiet, and Shulk felt himself beginning to calm, Dunban abruptly moved them on their sides and grabbed his hip. The ether around him was heating up again. He moved his hand down and gripped his thigh, rubbing against him but not doing anything more, and Shulk realised he was asking permission.

Nodding against the other's man shoulder, he groaned as was pushed into again, then whimpered and moaned as he held the other man's shoulders.

Some time during the night when Dunban finally let up for a bit, he held him closely from behind, once again kissing and softly biting the back of his neck in between the scratches. He reached around and stroked Shulk's fringe and jaw, calloused hands wiping the sweat off his face. Shulk melted into the attention, leaning his body back into the chest behind him.

Some ridiculous, immature part of Shulk wanted to ask Fiora's big brother if he'd helped him.

-

He woke eventually to Dunban pulling himself out of his body.

His whole body felt like a dead weight, vaguely acknowledging it was due to how much ether an alpha in a rut had sapped from him. He murmured into the blanket, “Dunban, you okay...” _now?_ Too tired to add.

“I'm fine, are you?” His voice sounded gentle and he felt a rough thumb trace his jaw.

“Mm... I'm fine, just wanted...” He sluggishly rolled his shoulders and shifted forward into the source of warmth next to him. He resigned himself to opening his eyes, shuffling up the blankets to his cheeks. The cavern was light around them and Shulk realised the entire night had passed. When they had last joined dawn was creeping into the cavern. “Are you okay?”

There was a low chuckle, warm in the frigid silence. “Go back to sleep.”

He couldn't, he was awake and he was unsettled. Guilt came right away, he should be thinking of Dunban's rut, if he was okay now, how he was feeling about Mumkhar. His immediate though though was as he moved he realised he was sore, and not just from the bruises he hadn't stopped his alpha in time from leaving on him.

Embarrassed, he lurched forward against his body, placing his head into the chest in front of him and tightened his arms around his alpha.

A few moments later a hand sheepishly fell over his shoulders. “What's wrong?” Then after a few seconds he added, “I didn't hurt you, did I?”

Shulk didn't reply, instead shuffling in his place until the heavy blanket slipped down his shoulder and bared his skin to the cold.

Dunban moved back and sat up, then loudly sucked in a breath through his teeth and stroked over his arm.

“Bad?” Shulk asked tentatively, looking up at Dunban face for an indication.

He was still on his side, using his elbow to prop himself up. His hair was a tangled mess and covered his face and shoulders. The blanket has slipped down to his stomach. Despite the pain, and the prior night, arousal flared sharply and painfully in Shulk.

“Are you really okay?” he mumbled.

Dunban looked into his eyes, face tender as he continued caressing his arm. “I am, thank you for...helping me out and stopping me from being worse than I tried to be. This last month has been chaotic.”

His alpha absently looked down at him, drowsiness behind his actions. He settled down into the bedding on his back, face tilted towards the ceiling. “I need to sleep, you need to as well.”

Shulk nodded, burning up inside.

When he woke again later the ice on the walls were bright and he sluggishly wondered how late in the afternoon it was. He looked blearily around and saw the fire was reduced to a smoulder and his skin felt cool from the sweat and fluids.

Dunban was asleep opposite him, breathing shallowly, still on his back and the blanket has slipped down to the top of his chest. Shulk found himself delaying his start to the day to stare at him, for the man was suddenly extremely handsome. He'd known he was, many people of Colony 9 commented as much, now it was Shulk's turn to see for himself.

He'd always just been Fiora's brother, even during heats he'd always just been Fiora's older brother helping get through a new phase of his life. This was supposed to be for convenience, he told himself while rolling on his back and thumping his fist on his forehead, they'd both made that clear as such the afternoon they'd talked and decided to pair up. Fiora was alive and so close to them, why now of all times did undesirable feelings decide to rear their ugly heads?

He knew he was simply enjoying sex like a healthy adult man, something they both were completely entitled to enjoy regardless of why they were doing this. It wasn't anything more than that. There was just underlining guilt there.

Dunban had made it clear over and over this was _“for biology”_. Though sex outside of a heat was on the table, Dunban's past actions had made that clear. Granted, it wasn't exactly a frequent thing that would be occurring, based on the Alcamoth incident it would only happen when instincts or urges got the better of them.

Shulk told himself none of this had anything to do with how attractive Dunban was. He repeated that in his mind while he watched the sleeping man, mesmerised by how peaceful he was, the way strands of his hair fanned out beneath him.

He eventually, after getting his fill of staring when he couldn't be told to stop, carefully and quietly slipped out from the bed after tugging up the blankets to Dunban's neck. The cold air leapt on his skin and the cuts on his neck began to sting insistently. The chill helped take him away from his thoughts as he built the fire back up and started warming some water to wipe himself down, tending to the closing wounds on the back of his neck and carefully applying the salve.

There was a light bruise on his arm just below his right shoulder, likely from Dunban's harsh treatment and not the Slobos. A movement Shulk either hadn't noticed or hadn't stopped in time to prevent an injury. He shouldn't be angry at Dunban for the rough treatment when he'd been told to expect as much, yet he couldn't help the acrimony he felt underlining his near constant thoughts. It might not be right to be upset when he'd been given forewarning and the alpha was lost in a rut.

He realised then Dunban didn't apologise for the rough treatment and hoped he would do so later.

He focused on making breakfast for a bit, resolutely not thinking about where he stood with Dunban. He would prepare a large meal from the rations they brought from Alcamoth and some of the food they'd gathered in the region. No need to get worried about their bond.

They were just sides, this was just for their bodies to function properly, he wasn't meant to look forward to it, it was something he was supposed to look forward to with someone he was in love with. Yet since Makna Forest he'd been stealing glances at the alpha and last night he had endeavoured to make it a pleasurable experience when he was just supposed to be getting an alpha out of a rut. He didn't know if this was right or not, Dunban had been nonplussed about it but he barely knew anything when it came to sides either. He wished he had an older omega to talk to for advice, he even wished for an older alpha's opinion on how they should be feeling towards each other regarding sex.

He'd forced the alpha to cater to his wants last night, but maybe he shouldn't have done that, maybe he should have just let him do what he was going to do. It might not have been right to try and get as much pleasure out of it as he could, they perhaps should've kept it as business as usual. Maybe they should still be on the exact same stance as when they first paired. They might not ever progress past that, not that he even knew if they were supposed to or not.

He thought back to when Dunban had caught up to them outside Colony 6, how for a brief moment it seemed like nothing had existed except the two of them, then the moment where _something_ had almost happened in Makna Forest. It was something only he felt and his other paired half seemed blissfully ignorant of those moments. He didn't want to think about it, but panic was making his skin hot and he was suddenly starting to think pairing with Dunban was a bad call. Yet he didn't know if he could go through his heats with someone else, likely someone he barely knew, someone he would only see once every two months. He didn't know if he could do it despite that it had been done by alphas and omegas for centuries before him.

Everyone agreed it had been the smartest move for them to pair and were indifferent to it, so why didn't anyone have to decency to warn him this could happen? Was this normal? It wasn't even the right time to become unnerved by this, he should be thinking about Fiora and the Mechon.

He was so caught up in his thoughts while he fried amethyst vanilla and other rations they had, he only realised Dunban had woken up when a hand was gently placed on his upper arm, avoiding the sore spot

“God,” he gasped, jolting out of shock, vegetables lurching in the pan.

“Sorry, didn't mean to startle you.” Dunban leaned around and smiled at him, blankets about to slip off around his waist.

Shulk pulled off a pot he had planned for tea, placing it on an empty rucksack, stomach churning as the hand pulled away from him. “Are you definitely out of the rut now?”

“I am indeed, I've never had one go away so quickly. Is that for me?”

“Yeah, so you can wash. I already have.” He rolled his shoulders to demonstrate he was dressed sans armour. “I'll finish up breakfast.”

Still smiling, Dunban nodded and moved away. The man's relaxed attitude calmed him somewhat and he told himself he was over-thinking things.

-

They have him, it's over. Metal Face – Mumkhar – couldn't win this fight and he knew it. Shulk saw the joints twitching and struggle to maintain form and power.

The burning on the back of his neck flared. He looked at Dunban and saw rage on the man's face, aura red around him. He felt the man's betrayal, remembered the intimacy they had shared days ago. Yet he still couldn't let him act on it.

“Get out of my way!” There was so much anger and desperation now directed at him, the sensation was shifting from burning to pressure and Shulk prepared himself. “Shulk! Obey your alpha!” His faced turned into a snarl. He'd seen Dunban angry at him growing up for antics he had pulled, but nothing like this. This was something raw and fuelled by instincts and blind rage.

“That's Mumkhar!” The strength in that one arm was outstanding and he wouldn't be able to take the strain for long. “He's not a Mechon!” The pressure on his neck rose and he felt his knees trying to buckle as well.

“Have you forgotten everything he's done?” There was hurt in Dunban's voice, malcontent at his omega for not letting him attack. “Where is your killer instinct?! Now is the time!” It felt like someone was pressing a rock down on the back of his neck.

It was the second time he'd felt betrayal from Dunban, the first when he hadn't spoken to him in Alcamoth after they'd seen Fiora. Now his alpha was speaking to him like this, trying to control his omega.

He mourned in that moment for the hero he had always seen Dunban as, now realising he was a man overwhelmed by his emotions as they all were. He now saw him as his alpha, overcome by grief and anger, willing to exploit use their bond to force Shulk into submission. He knew he'd never view him the same again.

“I hate him, Dunban. For what he did to Fiora and the Emperor. So of course I want to get my revenge!” His body was trying to give to the alpha's orders. The Monado began titling back to him and his wrists started stinging from the angle. He couldn't let Dunban do this. “But... Face Mechon are not like the others.” The sword slant back further and fear came up from his gut. “They're people! Like us!”

Dunban was still baring his teeth at him and ordering him through their ether bond to yield. Shulk was scared of him, but he wasn't going to surrender.

-

Something changed between them again. Like in Makna Forest after his encounter with the Telethia they'd had another falling out, this time from his actions. He wasn't sorry about what he did and knew Dunban did come around to agreeing with him, but he'd disobeyed his alpha and his alpha had attempted to impose his will on him. That was something they'd need to get past.

Part of him wondered if they should even bother. He respected Dunban but his opinion of him had been tainted. He felt so stupid for thinking he could just pair up and not expect them to fight like this, like a couple. That he would always just be seen as the cool big brother even when they were paired? Another childish attitude he should be too old for.

Just to think a few days ago his biggest concern was desire for the man, now it was this muddled mess. How they'd lurched from one emotion to another. He hated Mumkhar all over again for causing problems in their bond.

Everyone was silent as they wound their way through Galahad Fortress. They'd all heard Dunban's order of Shulk for obedience and were rattled by it. Reyn was looking especially downtrodden, having grown up with Dunban as well it was to be expected. There was too much at stake to let the hurt out in the open and cloud their focus. Sharla had pulled him aside after Mumkhar fell to his death and asked if he was alright, _“it must've been scary having your alpha yelling at you like that”_.

It was, but it wasn't only because he was his alpha. It was because it had been Dunban, Fiora's awesome older brother, angry at him and using an underhanded tactic to try force him into obedience.

It all came back to instincts as always. He didn't know if Dunban had intentionally attempted to exploit their bond to force him into submission. Titan beneath him, he desperately hoped he hadn't been. He hadn't spoken to Shulk about what happened yet, only speaking to each other regarding progressing through the base. They could pretend it never happened. They shouldn't though, he knew that wasn't healthy. Possibly. Working through problems are what couples do, not sides. Maybe it was normal to have tiffs like this and let it go by the time the next heat was around.

He kept going back to Dunban's hurt expression and voice, probably feeling abandoned. He'd acknowledged previously the man was very susceptible to his instincts, so it was possible now he couldn't control feeling betrayal at his omega's blatant disregard of his emotions. Once Dunban had told him to not cave to his instincts of docility, yet the alpha in him had wanted something else.

Shulk wouldn't apologise for stopping him. Following orders to make their alpha happy was what omegas did hundreds of years ago, sides never did that.

In the end it was Dunban, as always, that took the initiative. The group had gotten a little farther ahead and the man had stopped walking. Shulk continued on, intending to pass him, fearing the confrontation, not feeling like he was ever ready to deal with this, but a big hand had clasped his upper arm and he couldn't avoid it. The grip was soft, reminding Shulk of the gentle show of affection he'd briefly shown during his rut.

Shulk was overwhelming sad, not embarrassed like their prior open interactions.

Dunban walked around until he held his eye. “I'm so sorry, Shulk. I'm so sorry for saying such a horrible thing to you.”

His throat felt tight. “You scared me, Dunban.” He saw more hurt cut across the man's face, yet he couldn't lie.

“I know.” He swallowed while looking down. “I don't know how to make this better. I've never...”

Because he was so inexperienced. Shulk kept relearning that. He was inexperienced too, but the fault was his for continually expecting Dunban to understand and control this process more than he did.

Shulk asked quietly. “You really didn't mean to use our bond against me like that?”

His face contorted into despair. “Of course not! I would never!” He shook his arm a little. “Please believe me, Shulk, I didn't know what I was doing until after all it was over.” Quietly, he added, “Please.”

Shulk realised then this wasn't just about making him feel better, it was trying to return Shulk's opinion of him back to what it was. He didn't want Shulk to think he was some brute alpha forcing their omega to obey their every whim. Perhaps he still wanted to be viewed by him as a cool older mentor, something Shulk suspected he was now past.

“I believe you,” he replied quietly, relieved that he did. “I know you, Dunban. You're a hothead, but you'd never purposely do something like that.”

The squeeze on his arm slackened slightly. “It doesn't make up for it though,” he said morosely. “Even if it wasn't intentional, it doesn't make it better.”

If he truly didn't mean it, if he endeavoured not to do it again, it made a difference to him. “I know you'll try not to do it again.”

“I will,” he agreed softly.

There was silence. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the rest of the group watching them uneasily.

Shulk rubbed his hands together, looked around the hallway they were in. Lump in his throat lightening, he commented, “Biology, huh?”

Dunban smiled ruefully at him as he did so often when they had these conversations, then let his arm go.

Shulk had wanted to bring up that this wasn't the only time he had tried to use him, remind him how many times his carnality had to be reigned in when he was in the rut and that he never got an apology for that, but that would've just started a whole other argument and he decided to let it go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (60s cartoon announcer voice) In this week's chapter, Shulk learns to separate romantic desire and sexual desire!
> 
> I thought that fight scene was hard to write but it absolutely paled in comparison to the scene in the cave immediately afterwards. As mentioned I wanted to write this as platonic and that really tested me on how to emphasis that here. Every sentence took me a good five minutes to work out. Basically, how to emphasise the widening gap between romance and sexuality was difficult to convey.
> 
> I was also really careful in choosing my words because there's also the line where plot points can step over into fetish-fulfillment if not written appropriately. Shulk being intersex is just one aspect of the fic I put in because intersex alphas and omegas interests me, I didn't want it sound like it was being written to fulfill some kind of guy-pussy fetish (not judging anyone who does like that stuff though).


End file.
